Gordon Kaufmann

This article is about the architect whose name ends in double 'nn'. For theologian whose name ends in one 'n', see Gordon D. Kaufman.

Gordon Bernie Kaufmann
Born	19 March 1888 Forest Hill, London, United Kingdom
Died	1 March 1949(1949-03-01) (aged 60) Los Angeles, California, US
Alma mater	London Polytechnic Institute
Occupation	architect
Known for	Work on the Hoover Dam
Spouse(s)	Eva A. Kaufmann (two sons) Elsie S. Bryant[1]

Kaufmann's Los Angeles Times building

Gordon Bernie Kaufmann (19 March 1888 – 1 March 1949)[2] was an English-born American architect mostly known for his work on the Hoover Dam.

Early life

On 19 March 1888, Kaufmann was born in Forest Hill, London, England.[3]

Education

Kaufmann attended Whitgift School in South Croydon, and went on to graduate from the London Polytechnic Institute, circa 1908. Kaufmann then moved to Vancouver in British Columbia, where he spent the next six years.

Career

Scripps College

During Kaufmann's early career, he did much work in the Mediterranean Revival Style, which had become popular at that time. He was also the initial architect for Scripps College, a liberal arts women's college in Claremont, California. It is a member of the Claremont Colleges.

Kaufmann, along with landscape architect Edward Huntsman-Trout, designed the general campus plan featuring four residence halls to be built the first four consecutive years of the College (1927–1930). The project's design is primarily in the Mediterranean Revival style.[4]

While gaining recognition for Kaufmann's work on the Scripps campus, he was also hired by California Institute of Technology in 1928 to design the complex of dormitories now known as the South Houses, and the building for the Athenaeum, a private club located on the school's campus.[5]

Later in his career, Kaufmann worked primarily in the Art Deco style, with a personal emphasis on massively thick, streamlined concrete walls which gave his buildings a very distinctive appearance. Kaufmann's buildings as a result took on a very "mechanical" appearance, often resembling huge versions of old-fashioned appliances. The Los Angeles Times' headquarters is a perfect example of this. His work was also part of the architecture event in the art competition at the 1936 Summer Olympics.[6]

Projects

This is a selected list of Kaufmann's projects.

• 1920 Hacienda del Gato, Tradition Golf Club - 78-505 52nd Avenue, La Quinta, California, Architect[7]
• 1924 Hale Solar Laboratory, California Institute of Technology - 740 Holladay Road, Pasadena, California, Architect[8]
• 1926 La Quinta Resort & Club - 49-499 Eisenhower Drive, La Quinta, California. Architect.[9]
• 1926 Milton Getz House (also known as Beverly Estate) - 1011 North Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, California. Architect.[10][11]
• 1926 Scripps College for Women - 1030 Columbia Avenue, Claremont, California. Architect.[12]
• 1928 Greystone Mansion – 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills, California. Architect.[13]
• 1929 Holmby Hall – 921 Westwood Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. Architect.[14]
• 1930 Athenaeum, California Institute of Technology – 551 South Hill Avenue, Pasadena, California. Architect.[15]
• 1932 Harper Hall, Claremont Graduate University – 150 East 10th Street, Claremont, California. Architect.[16]
• 1934 Santa Anita Park – 285 West Huntington Drive, Arcadia, California. Architect.[17]
• 1935 Hoover Dam
• 1935 Los Angeles Times Building – 202 West 1st St, Los Angeles, California. Architect.
• 1936 United States Post Office (San Pedro, Los Angeles) – Architect, with W. Horace Austin.[18]
• 1939 Arrowhead Springs Hotel – 24918 Arrowhead Springs Road, San Bernardino, California. Architect.[19]
• 1940 Hollywood Palladium – 6201 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, California. Architect.[20]

Personal life

In 1914, Kaufmann moved to California and settled in Fresno, California. Kaufmann's wife was Elsie Bryant Kaufmann. On 1 March 1949, Kaufmann died in Los Angeles California. Kaufmann is buried in Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, California.

References

1. "Gordon Bernie Kaufmann (Architect)". pcad.lib.washington.edu. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
2. Pacific Coast Architecture Database. Retrieved 10 June 2014 (bad link)
3. "Gordon Bernie Kaufmann (Architect)". pcad.lib.washington.edu. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
4. "Scripps College Historical Timeline". Archived from the original on 11 December 2012.
5. "The History of the Athenaeum". Archived from the original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
6. "Gordon Kaufmann". Olympedia. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
7. Dodge, Marge (4 February 2017). "Old Town Artisan Studio Golden Circle gratitude reception". The Desert Sun. p. 2G. Retrieved 19 June 2022 – via desertsun.com.
8. "California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, Hale Solar Laboratory, Pasadena, CA". washington.edu. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
9. "Extraordinary Meetings Happen Here". laquintaresort.com. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
10. "Getz House - About This Commission". usc.edu. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
11. Flemming, Jack (20 August 2021). "Once listed at $195 million, the famed Hearst estate is hitting the auction block". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
12. "National Registry of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form, Scripps College for Women". nps.gov. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
13. "Greystone Mansion". beverlyhills.org. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
14. "Holmby Hall, Westwood, Los Angeles, CA". washington.edu. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
15. "California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Athenaeum, Pasadena, CA". washington.edu. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
16. "CGU History". cgu.edu. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
17. "Los Angeles Turf Club, Santa Anita". architecturaldigest.com. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
18. "Competition No. 1". Bulletin. No. 10. Washington, D.C.: Section of Painting and Sculpture. June–August 1936. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
19. "Arrowhead Hot Springs Hotel #4, San Bernardino, CA". washington.edu. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
20. "Hollywood Palladium". laconservancy.org. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2019.

External links

• Pacific Coast Architecture Database: Gordon Kaufmann — projects and completed works
• Master Architects of Southern California 1920–1941: Gordon Kaufmann
• Architect Gordon Kaufmann (1888–1949) at modernlivingla.com Archived 17 June 2019 at the Wayback Machine