HOLLYHOCK HOUSE

HOLLYHOCK HOUSE, A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE, WAS COMMISSIONED BY ALINE BARNSDALL AND DESIGNED BY FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT, ONE OF THE GREATEST AMERICAN ARCHITECTS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.

The project was also the proving ground for the early careers of Wright’s assistant, RM Schindler, and Wright’s son Lloyd Wright, as they oversaw the completion of the project in 1921. Hollyhock House’s innovative plan and bold aesthetic were catalysts for the modern California architecture movement. Schindler and Lloyd Wright both became influential design pioneers and inspired other notable figures to establish their architecture practices in Los Angeles, including Richard Neutra, Gregory Ain, and John Lautner.

  • In 1963, Hollyhock House was recognized as a Historic-Cultural Monument by the City of Los Angeles.

  • In 1971, the building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

  • The United States Department of the Interior designated Hollyhock House a National Historic Landmark in 2007.

  • In 2019, Hollyhock House was inscribed as the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in Los Angeles.

  • It is one of eight seminal Wright buildings that were collectively recognized as UNESCO’s first modern architecture designation in the United States.

  • Hollyhock House joins Yosemite National Park and Redwood National and State Parks as the third site in California with the distinguished UNESCO status.


Hollyhock House enjoys tremendous community support. Each year, nearly 100 passionate and insightful volunteer docents contribute thousands of hours of service to the mission of sharing the home’s vibrant history and alluring architectural features with more than 43,000 annual visitors.


Photos: Joshua White / JWPictures.com