Redefining the Modern: American West Coast Architecture

From the early experiments of Frank Lloyd Wright and Julia Morgan with exotic motifs and adaptations, to Rudolf Schindler’s deeper explorations of modern architecture, and later to the influential Case Study House Program after World War II, architects on the American West Coast followed a different path from their East Coast counterparts. Rather than directly transplanting European traditions, they sought to fuse architecture with nature, embraced bold new technologies, and pursued diverse interpretations of regional culture.

This journey takes you across the American West to explore more than 30 works by architects such as Louis Kahn, Frank Lloyd Wright, Rudolf Schindler, Richard Neutra, Frank Gehry, Thom Mayne and Renzo Piano. Along the way, the program provides a deeper analysis of the evolution of modern architecture on the American West Coast.