The Courtyard Apartments :: Craig Ellwood, 1952-53

LA Historic-Cultural Monument #801. Originally designed as four interlocking apartments in Hollywood for celebrity TV host Roy Maypole, this complex gave the first international recognition to its Case Study designer Craig Ellwood. The exposed steel, glass, and brick; the seamless play between indoors and out; the use of newly developed materials - all became the signature elements in Ellwood's successive work. Set behind a translucent wall, the apartments' facade reveals two converging diagonal trusses as if to signal a pediment entry. The current layout consists of two 2-bedroom/1-bath units in the original configuration and one large 2-bedroom/2.5-bath unit resulting from the merger of two units. Each unit has been meticulously restored with a private patio, fireplace, and up-to-date systems and appliances. Paraphrasing Reyner Banham, this architecture, through its exposed structure, reinforces the honesty, clarity, and unity of the modern movement.