DONOR GIVES LACMA $17 MILLION AND A JOHN LAUTNER HOME

Wealthy real-estate developer James F. Goldstein has donated the John Lautner–designed home seen in the 1998 film The Big Lebowski to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Los Angeles Times reports. The gift also includes $17 million to establish an endowment for the maintenance of the building. The museum estimates the value of the entire gift, which includes a James Turrell skyspace and an adjacent building containing an office and a nightclub, to be $40 million.

Exemplary of American organic architecture, the home, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s disciple, melds with the surrounding sandstone hillside. Many of the rooms of the house connect to the outdoors via covered walkways. Known as the Sheats-Goldstein residence, the home is famous for its massive coffered living room ceiling and was originally built for artist Helen Sheats and her husband on a tight budget. Goldstein bought the influential architect’s home in 1972 with the intention of expanding and improving it under Lautner’s supervision. Goldstein, who is still currently living in the home, said “I want the house to be an educational tool for young architects, and I want to inspire good architecture for Los Angeles.”

Museum director and chief executive Michael Govan has expressed interest in acquiring exemplary LA architecture since he took up his position at the museum in 2006.

“For me it ranks as one of the most important houses in all of LA,” Govan said. “And as one of the most LA houses, because of its connection to the view, that long view toward the ocean.”