Photo Credit: © J. Paul Getty Trust. Used with permission. Julius Shulman Photography Archive, Research Library at the Getty Research Institute (2004.R.10)

Urban Future Initiative Fellows are hosted by the MAK Center in the Fitzpatrick-Leland House, an exemplary LA Modern home designed by architect R.M. Schindler in 1936.

The Fitzpatrick-Leland House is located on a high bluff at the crest of Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles. Developer Clifton Fitzpatrick built the dramatic L-shaped, tri-level home as a real estate promotion to attract buyers to the area. The house’s façade references the International Style, a major architectural movement prevalent in the 1920s and 1930s, while Schindler’s subtle composition of interlocking volumes dominates the experience of interior spaces.

Russ Leland, who acquired the Fitzpatrick House in 1990, spent 10 years restoring much of Schindler’s original design that had been lost or covered. Through his efforts, Leland successfully recaptured the spirit of Schindler’s vision. In 2008, he donated the building and property to the MAK Center, insuring its legacy as a historically significant work of architecture.

For his generous donation of the Fitzpatrick-Leland House, Russ Leland was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art, First Class. This high decoration was presented to Russ Leland by Her Excellency Claudia Schmied, Federal Minister for Education, Art and Culture of the Republic of Austria at the Fitzpatrick-Leland House in Los Angeles on October 23, 2008.

The MAK Center for Art and Architecture shares Russ Leland’s commitment to “living architecture” and is honored to be entrusted with the Fitzpatrick-Leland House. Recognizing that the home’s light-filled spaces and expansive grounds provide an ideal setting for a residency program, the MAK Center has dedicated the Fitzpatrick-Leland House to the lodging of cultural thinkers who participate in the Urban Future Initiative Fellowship. In its current incarnation, the Fitzpatrick-Leland House serves as an active hub for research, contemplation, and conversation about urban space.

First Fridays

The Fitzpatrick-Leland House is open for viewing by appointment the first Friday of each month from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. Please visit the MAK Center website for more information.

The MAK Center for Art and Architecture thanks Modernica for sponsoring furnishings in the Fitzpatrick-Leland House.

Photo Credit: MAK Center

Fitzpatrick-Leland House
Photo Credit: Patricia Parinejad

Fitzpatrick-Leland House Press Brunch, 6/4/ 08. From left: Michael LaFetra, Film Producer; Kimberli Meyer, Director, MAK Center for Art and Architecture, Los Angeles; Linda Taalman, Architect; Marco Kusumawijaya, UFI Program Fellow; April Greiman, Designer; Michael Rotondi, Architect; Martin Weiss, Consul General of Austria; Peter Noever, CEO and Artistic Director, MAK; Laurie Samitaur-Smith, Samitaur Constructs; Russ Leland, Donor; Frederick Samitaur-Smith, Samitaur Constructs; Peter Wolf, Film Composer; Mark Mack, Architect

Peter Noever and Russ Leland at the official donation of the house on June 4, 2008. For his generous donation of the Fitzpatrick-Leland House (R. M. Schindler 1936) Russ Leland was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art, First Class by Her Excellency Claudia Schmied, Federal Minister for Education, Art and Culture of the Republic of Austria, who presented this high decoration at the Fitzpatrick-Leland House in Los Angeles on October 23, 2008.