Modernist Oasis

"The Oasis doesn't showcase bravura design on the order of artistes such as Richard Neutra or Rudolph Schindler. But the nearly three dozen homes built on Tuxedo Terrace and Bronson Hill Drive near Griffith Park epitomized their era--think Hockney meets the Brady Bunch house: clean geometric lines, split levels, exposed beam ceilings, 30-foot-high-rock fireplaces and the occasional pool."

"The enclave was the brainchild of flamboyant entrepreneur Russ Vincent, who was a producer and actor before turning his flair for showmanship to real estate development. During the '60s, Vincent was the moving force behind deliciously idiosyncratic developments such as Laurel Canyon's classical Greece-inspired Mt. Olympus."

"When he launched Hollywood Oasis in the late '50s, Vincent envisioned his first real estate venture as a suburban retreat minutes from the glitz of Hollywood. "We're only five minutes from Hollywood and Vine, but we still get all the great wildlife from Griffith Park," says Noel Toy Young, an Oasis homeowner and retired real estate agent."

Hollywood Oasis is a secluded subdivision near Griffith Park in Los Angeles comprising nearly three dozen homes built on Tuxedo Terrace and Bronson Hill Drive during the late 1950s. Created by flamboyant entrepreneur Russ Vincent, a former producer and actor turned real estate developer, the enclave epitomizes mid-century modernist design with clean geometric lines, split levels, exposed beam ceilings, high rock fireplaces, and occasional pools. Vincent envisioned the development as a suburban retreat minutes from Hollywood while maintaining proximity to Griffith Park's wildlife. The neighborhood features a distinctive Byzantine mosaic sign with pyramids and palm trees, reflecting Vincent's flair for theatrical signage. The development represents a unique piece of Los Angeles's modernist heritage, distinct from more celebrated architects like Neutra or Schindler.

Read at Los Angeles Times