Design 
31 March 2022
Design 
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Rudolph M. Schindler

Rare dining chair from the Howenstein House, South Pasadena

Austria/USA, c. 1943
plywood, lacquered plywood and aluminum 28¾ h × 20 w × 21 d in (73 × 51 × 53 cm)
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $10,000
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This dining chair is one of two known examples created for Schindler's 1943 redesign of the Karl Howenstein house in South Pasadena, California. Wright would like to thank Dr. Lilian Pfaff for her assistance in cataloging this work.
provenance: Howenstein House, South Pasadena, CA | The Landing, Los Angeles | Acquired from the previous by the present owner

This work will ship from Wright in Chicago, Illinois.

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R.M. Schindler's Howenstein Chair

Interior, Howenstein House. Photo: Dr. Lilian Pfaff


When Karl Howenstein moved from Chicago to Los Angeles in 1922, he and his wife Edith first made their home in the Schindler House on Kings Road in West Hollywood–presumably through Edith's connection to Schindler's later wife, Pauline. Several years later, in 1925, Howenstein designed a new home for his family on 2083 Hansom Drive in South Pasadena, which he most likely built himself. In 1943, Schindler augmented the home with a new design, laying a new, rectangular addition atop the original home at a 45-degree angle. The furniture that Schindler made for the home–including this custom dining chair–was modeled after his "flying roof" insertion and made with the same lines. One of two known dining chairs, this piece was made at a low height in keeping with Schindler's preferred style and fit the table perfectly. 

The modern architect, who has become the space architect, sees the house as an organism in which every detail, including furniture is related to the whole and to the idea which is its source.

Rudolf Schindler

Rudolph M. Schindler 1887–1953

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Rudolph Michael Schindler was an Austrian-born architect and designer who came to define the landscape of mid-century modernism in Southern California. His education began at the Imperial Technical Institute in Vienna from 1906 to 1911 before studying under Otto Wagner and Adolf Loos at the Academy of Fine Arts from 1910 to 1913. Schindler eventually sought the mentorship of Frank Lloyd Wright in Chicago. In 1920, he was hired by Wright to oversee the important Hollyhock House commission in Los Angeles. Schindler would remain in California for the rest of his life.

His iconic home and studio, the Schindler Chase House on Kings Road, set the stage for California Modernism. The construction featured a minimalist approach and linear form built in sleek concrete with sliding glass doors opening to gardens — all of which became staples of the Southern California style. The space was designed for communal living and Schindler shared the space with his wife Pauline among many other important figures, including Richard Neutra and John Cage. Between the years of 1920 and 1953, Schindler designed numerous residential commissions such as the Lovell Beach House (1922), Rodriguez House (1942), Kallis House (1946), and the Tischler House (1949). While Rudolph Schindler’s death was untimely, his legacy and philosophy continue to be celebrated in his iconic structures.

Auction Results Rudolph M. Schindler

Rudolph M. Schindler

Unit chair and ottoman for the Van Patten House, Los Angeles

estimate: $15,000–25,000

result: $56,250

Rudolph M. Schindler

Custom desk for the J. L. Armon House, Los Angeles

estimate: $30,000–50,000

result: $44,100

Rudolph M. Schindler

Armchair

estimate: $10,000–12,000

result: $31,200

Rudolph M. Schindler

pair of stools from the Gingold Residence, Los Angeles

estimate: $20,000–30,000

result: $30,000

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