Iconic. Mr. James Goldstein announced he will be donating his famous Los Angeles residence to the LA County Museum of Art (LACMA) after he’s done with it. The museum estimates the total value of the gift at $40 million and Goldstein called that figure “conservative.” The uber famous crib was a brain child of architect John Lautner — Frank Lloyd Wright disciple, iconoclast and reluctant Angeleno. Lautner produced a number of strikingly unorthodox, mind and gravity-defying structures in the decades following the 2nd World War.
Fans of L.A. based architecture, movies and art should be jumping up and down learning that one day arguably soon they may have the privilege to visit this incredible piece of architectural significance. This will be the first architectural acquisition for the LA County Museum of Art (LACMA). The property is located in Beverly Crest on the side of a canyon, the house is one-of-a-kind. Lautner designed it in 1961 and completed the project in 1963 for a family, UCLA professor Paul and artist Helen Sheats and their five children. Paul’s wife requested windows in the master bedroom look into the pool. Apparently Helen wanted to be able to see the kids while they swam. It’s said to be “the most dangerous house you’ll ever be in.”
The fascinating James Goldstein purchased the house in 1972. James Goldstein over the decades has expanded the house on an expensive personal crusade, by purchasing then tearing down the house next door, with the help of John Lautner and then Duncan Nicholson, once Lautner passed away. The property is still under construction to this minute.
“It’s the most incredible and unique house in Los Angeles with one of the best views. It’s mostly glass, so you get a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean, downtown Los Angeles and Fox studios. Sometimes birds even fly inside. When it was first built, there was no glass at all, but it turned out to be impractical even with LA’s mild weather,” said Goldstein.
The property is an exhibitionist’s dream come true if you think about it. The Sheats-Goldstein house is a triangular concrete framework surrounded by walls of glass, with transparent sinks, built-in leather furniture, and hypnotizing windows that peek into the pool. As if the spot wasn’t hip enough, James Goldstein hired artist James Turrell to create a skyspace structure called Above Horizon (which will be donated to LACMA as well), an art installation made of concrete and colored LED lights where your experience changes depending on the time of day or drugs you happen to have digested.
The Sheats-Goldstein house not only is a sexy magnet to everyone cool in the universe. Famous films and an actual porn flick have legitimately been credited in the space, The Big Lebowski as pornographer Jackie Treehorn’s house, Charlies Angles 2: Full Throttle, and a naughty picture were a woman named Alice took man pipe in the brown eye.
Surrounded by a tropical jungle, the Sheats-Goldstein house has its own detached nightclub called Club James and a tennis court (which were later additions built on the lot next door. Goldstein purchased the property next door and tore down the house to build the nightclub and tennis court.)
“The house is a work of art, it belongs in a museum,” Goldstein said.
All this selling high profile architectural case studies is fine and dandy, and a generous decision the 70 something year old man of mystery decided. But lets look past the walls of glass, and transparent sinks for a hot second. Who on earth is James Goldstein, and where did he get all his money?
Some journalists will argue Mr. Goldstein was born a silver spoon in his zipper lined leather pant pocket, and was blessed by the fashion Gods to be surrounded by wise real estate investment gurus – so the rest is a Hollywood story. Other’s will brag knowing first person James Goldstein is the secret developer of Century City which is a huge shopping, office and residential complex, and one of the earliest developers in the first Mars colony, where he earns himself billions of dollars a year. Still more people will tell a tale about James Goldstein as a rockstar chic fashion designer/icon cowboy and devote basketball superfan – which is obvious, and still not explaining his deep leather pockets.
Possibly the only fact here that’s truly fascinating is that the Sheats-Goldstein House is important to California architecture and design as well as culture, and soon we will be able to view works of art there while overlooking the city. LACMA is acquiring models of the house, Goldstein’s questionably fashionable wardrobe, works by Ed Ruscha, Kenny Scharf, and more, a lush jungle, the club, the tennis court, the skyspace by James Turrell, and the house will all be open to the public.
Whatever you believe the true story is behind Goldstein, one thing is for sure either way.
James Goldstein is one hellofa lucky duck!
You can view more photographs of the property in our article with Rob Hill.
panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, downtown Los Angeles and Fox studios
The Property has been a location for editorial photography shoots like Treats! Magazine
Concrete framework surrounded by walls of glass
Built-in leather furniture
Surrounded by a tropical jungle
Club James under construction
Prime real estate tennis court
James Goldstein’s roof
James Goldstein Fashion Designer… So hot right now
“This house changed my life,” Said James Goldstein.
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