In a move that has stirred up anger among architecture aficionados, actor Chris Pratt and his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, have come under fire for demolishing a cherished midcentury-modern home to make way for a colossal 15,000-square-foot mansion.
The controversy surrounds their acquisition of the 1950 Zimmerman house, a gem of architectural history designed by renowned architect Craig Ellwood, which stood in LA’s prestigious Brentwood neighborhood.
Purchased for a hefty $12.5 million, the residence, complemented by landscaping by the visionary Garrett Eckbo, had graced the pages of Progressive Architecture magazine.
Previously occupied by the late Hilda Rolfe, widow of Sam Rolfe, co-creator of the iconic series “The Man from Uncle,” the Zimmerman house boasted an interior bathed in natural light, adorned with classic mid-century features including expansive windows, wooden floors and period furniture.
The single-story abode and its meticulously designed surroundings have now been erased, making room for a mammoth modern farmhouse-style estate — a trend increasingly dominating suburban landscapes across the United States.
Architectural Digest reports that architect Ken Ungar, known for his expertise in crafting modern farmhouse residences, will helm the design of Pratt and Schwarzenegger’s new home.
Situated across the street from Schwarzenegger’s mother, Maria Shriver, the property is slated to include a sprawling three-car garage and an auxiliary unit adjacent to the pool area.
Concerns about the demolition were raised early on by the Los Angeles Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture.
Despite being identified as a potentially historic site by the city’s SurveyLA program, the Zimmerman house lacked the safeguards necessary for its protection, according to the conservancy’s Instagram post.
The Eichler Network, an advocate for mid-century homes in California, voiced lament over the destruction, with writer Adriene Biondo echoing those sentiments.
“At the same time as architectural homes are being marketed as high-end, collectible art, others are being torn down to build new,” Biondo said. “Perhaps a historic-cultural monument designation could have saved the Zimmerman house, or allowed the necessary time to delay demolition. Tragically, calls for preservation fell on deaf ears.”
Meanwhile, a designer who focuses on mid-century homes and and authored the book: “Mid Century Modern at Home,” expressed his frustration with Pratt and Schwarzenegger.
“Saddened (also angered frankly) to learn of the demolition of the Zimmerman House,” he expressed in an Instagram post.
In response, comments flooded the post agreeing with his sentiments.
“What the f–k? Why would you buy an architecturally/historically significant house to tear it down? Buy another property for f–ks sake,” one commenter wrote.
“Modern farmhouse will never become a classic of design. No matter how many HGTV mavens want to make it so…” another wrote.
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