The Ennis House was built fourth in a series of concrete block houses designed and completed by Frank Lloyd Wright for a client who shared his passion for the ancient Mayan culture. In the Ennis design, Wright managed to successfully fuse the methods from the previous dwellings within the context of a Southern Californian climate.

History

The Ennis was commissioned by Mabel and Charles Ennis in 1924. Ennis was the owner of a men's clothing store in downtown L.A. and an enthusiast of Mayan art and architecture. The home changed ownership multiple times until it was purchased by Augustus O. Brown in 1968. The Ennis House is sometimes referred to as the Ennis-Brown House, as it was renamed after the house was donated to the Trust for Preservation of Cultural Heritage by Brown.

Design

The house consists of two buildings, the main house and a smaller detached apartment/garage, which are separated by a vast paved courtyard that overlooks the greater Los Angeles area. Together, the two separate pieces work to conquer the landscape and houses built around the streets, as the whopping 10,000 square foot dwelling expands horizontally across the hilltop. The spine-like loggia runs along the northern side of the house to connect the public and private spaces to the south.

Movies

The house has been featured in several films, notably it is Deckard's apartment in Blade Runner (1982). As well as The Day of the Locust, 1975, House on Haunted Hill, 1959, The Karate Kid III, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it was even cartoonised in a version of South Park.