Butterfly House (Carmel-by-the-Sea, California)

Butterfly House
Butterfly House in Carmel Point
General information
Architectural style	Mid-century modern
Address	26320 Scenic Road
Town or city	Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
Coordinates	36°32′28″N 121°55′58″W
Construction started	1950; 75 years ago (1950)
Completed	1952; 73 years ago (1952)
Height
Roof	wing-shaped roof
Technical details
Size	3,700 square feet (340 m^2)
Floor count	1
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Francis W. Wynkoop (1902-1978)
Architecture firm	Francis W. Wynkoop Inc.
Other designers	Jamie Bush & Co.

Butterfly House, is a Mid-century modern style house built in 1951 located on Carmel Point in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Due to its unique wing-shaped roof, this building is commonly referred to as the Butterfly House. The house was designed and built by architect Francis W. Wynkoop. It is one of the few houses that is on the rocky Carmel shoreline.

History

The Butterfly House was designed and built by architect Francis W. Wynkoop (1902–1978). Construction began in 1951[1] and was completed in 1952.[2][3] It is located on the ocean front at Carmel Point.[4][5] The house underwent major renovations after it was sold in 2014.[6]

Architectural style

The Butterfly House is a 1+1⁄2-story, Mid-century modern-style building. It has a wing-shaped hipped roof. The house was built with a deck cantilevered out over solid granite rocks, at the edge of the breakers. Workers had to drill into the granite rock to sink caissons 5 ft (1.5 m) below the ground-level and covered them with reinforced concrete.The house is built of pumice block to blend into its surroundings.[2]

See also

• Timeline of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
• List of Historic Buildings in Carmel-by-the-Sea

References

1. Morgan, Mallery Roberts (May 25, 2018). AD Goes Inside Carmel's Iconic Butterfly House. Architectural Digest.
2. Mimi Bell (14 Mar 1952). "Architect Wynkoop Goes Down to the Sea in House". Redwood City Tribune. Redwood City, California. p. 6. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
3. "Today's Cover Photo". The Californian. Salinas, California. 28 Jun 1952. p. 13. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
4. Astley, Amy (2019). Architectural Digest at 100 A Century of Style. Abrams. p. 36. ISBN 9781683356479.
5. Morrison, Kara G. (16 June 2012). "Beacon by the sea". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
6. Hogan, Jil (22 March 2023). "Around the world Carmel". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 30 October 2024.