One of L.A.’s architectural crown jewels, the $40 million Sheats-Goldstein House, has been bequeathed to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), which means it may soon open its doors for ticketed tours.
Moviegoers will recognize its geometrical lines and panoramic views over Beverly Hills as the sleek lair of The Big Lebowski villain Jackie Treehorn, played by Ben Gazzara. But the modernist aerie has an importance that predates the Coen Brothers’ wacky cult classic.
Built in 1961, it was designed by John Lautner, who pioneered the hilltop, space-age one-storied homes commonly associated with the Hollywood Hills and Palm Springs resorts. For the past 35 years, the house has been owned by millionaire James Goldstein, who’s clearly been quite generous with his guest policy.
Aside from serving as the backdrop to some of The Big Lebowski‘s most memorable sequences, the house was similarly featured in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle and has been rented out for countless A-list Hollywood bashes, notably for Rihanna’s 27th birthday.
The pad was built on the drop-off of a canyon, so it’s quit a trek to get to it. But with some of the finest modernist architecture of Southern California, its ceiling-to-floor windows, and its own nightclub, tennis court, and pool, it’s well worth the effort.
Goldstein will reportedly stay put until he dies (what a cool place to kick the bucket), but LACMA reportedly plans on integrating tours to those wishing to soak up its architectural splendors (or just lounge in the living room mouthing The Dude’s dialogue.
” tml-embed-width=”640″ tml-embed-height=”440″ tml-render-layout=”inline