"The house stands above a steep slope, mounted on a single concrete column, which appears to be all that keeps it from soaring away. To those inside, the height, panoramic view and absence of any visible means of support give the impression of being in a penthouse floating in the sky or on the command deck of a flying saucer swooping down to strafe North Hollywood with laser cannon."
"The house is one of the best-known works of John Lautner, a Hollywood architect renowned for his unique designs and stubbornly individualistic personality. Long a familiar sight in architectural magazines and books, it went before a new audience recently as the temporary home of the voyeuristic protagonist of the murder-mystery film "Body Double.""
"Rather, he said, it was an effort to deal with an architectural problem, the 45-degree slope of the lot, which was a gift to the owner because it appeared to be worthless. "It's a practically unbuildable hillside with no access from the top," Lautner said."
The Chemosphere House, built in 1961 and named by Encyclopaedia Britannica as the world's most modern home, stands as a Los Angeles architectural landmark and international treasure. Designed by renowned Hollywood architect John Lautner, the house resembles a UFO hovering above the Santa Monica Mountains. Mounted on a single concrete column above a steep slope, it creates the illusion of a floating penthouse or flying saucer command deck. The innovative design solved the architectural challenge of a 45-degree hillside lot deemed nearly unbuildable. The house gained renewed attention after appearing in the film "Body Double" and is now for sale for $1.05 million, reflecting its significant reputation and historical importance.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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