If you were asked, would you move to something called the Chemosphere? If you have no idea what we’re talking about, you’re not alone. In fact, most people who relocate to the Los Angeles area, or are just in town visiting, often mistake the Chemosphere for an alien mothership.
The Chemosphere really does look like an alien spacecraft hovering over the trees, but it is actually a house designed by the late, great John Lautner. The house is a 2,200 square foot, octagonal structure that also happens to be placed atop a 30-foot pole. The pole allows the house to be where it is – on a very steep slope.
Even though Lautner designed, the house, he didn’t actually build it, or move in. Leonard Malin was the lucky one. He built the home in 1960 and moved right in. He lived there until 1972. Since Malin moved out, the house had a series of owners, was the site of many parties, and had ultimately become quite worn.
By the time Benedikt Taschen, a German book publisher, moved into the home in 2000, it was really in a state of disrepair. He has restored the house over the last few years.
Now you really have to see the Chemosphere to get a full sense of its intrigue. And you may even wish you could move in once you see it.
No, you don’t have to buy a ticket or move to Los Angeles to catch a glimpse of it. Just pop in a DVD of the 2000 movie “Charlies’ Angels” or an old episode of “Outer Limits.”
Lance Grooms
