Tuesday, April 30, 2024

AD Classics: Gamble House Greene & Greene

gamble house

The house is now open for public tours and serves as the residence for two lucky 5th year USC architecture students every year. Although the Greenes never traveled to Japan, they found inspiration closer to home, frequenting the Japanese Garden at The Huntington with its historic Japanese House and ceremonial teahouse. Although, the style did not fully blossom in their work until Charles visited the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair and its Japanese exhibits, which influenced their designs from there on out.

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A stellar example of Art & Crafts architecture, and a movie set to boot.

Visitors can see the bedrooms how they appeared when the Gambles lived there. The master bedroom contains walnut dressers inlaid with fruitwood and semiprecious stones. Even the bathrooms are ornate, with one on the second floor containing stained glass doors.

gamble house

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Where the house diverges from the Japanese aesthetic is how it defines spaces. The Greenes’ style is “enclosed,” explained Trotoux, whereas Japanese architecture is open and spacious with pavilion-style designs. The Gamble House, constructed in 1908 as a home for David B. Gamble, son of the Procter & Gamble founder James Gamble, is widely regarded as the pinnacle of the American Arts and Crafts movement. Today the home is a National Historic Landmark and is open to the public for tours and events. In real life it also bridges time, as the history of the home ties Pasadena’s past to its present. In 1895, David Gamble retired from his position in the family-run Proctor & Gamble Company and began to winter in Pasadena with his wife Mary.

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While the home was constructed in the Craftsman style decades prior, the elements of indoor-outdoor connections, horizontal lines, and earthy color palette resonated with the era. The original patrons lived in the house until death, and it was continually passed down through the Gamble family until 1966, when it was almost sold to a family who intended to paint the interior teak and mahogany woodwork white. They immediately realized the artistic and architectural importance of this home and deeded it to the city of Pasadena in a joint agreement with the University of Southern California Department of Architecture.

The Gamble House in Pasadena, California, is an outstanding example of American Arts and Crafts-style architecture. The house and furnishings were designed by architects Charles and Henry Greene in 1908 for David and Mary Gamble of the Procter & Gamble Company. The house, designated a National Historic Landmark in 1978, is owned by the City of Pasadena and operated by the University of Southern California. The Gamble House was built by architect brothers Charles and Henry Greene in 1908, in Pasadena, California. It was first used as the winter residence of David and Mary Gamble and is an excellent example of Arts and Crafts architecture, which sought a return to more handcrafted work in response to industrialization.

The Gambles realized the artistic importance of the house and, in 1966, deeded it to the city of Pasadena in an agreement with the University of Southern California's School of Architecture. The house is located on a grassy knoll overlooking Pasadena's Arroyo Seco, a broad, seasonally dry river bed. Because of the Gambles’ attraction to the environment, the Greenes designed the house to complement the rustic setting.

gamble house

Timeline

The Gamble family lived in the house until 1966, and, after briefly considering selling it, deeded it to the city of Pasadena and the University of Southern California's School of Architecture. Renovations in 2004 insured that the house will be around for many more years. Like with any home, the Gamble House requires maintenance and upkeep. In the 1990s, the city of Pasadena and USC launched a plan to conserve and preserve the house. Pergola and trellises were incorporated into the grounds, connecting the home to the gardens that surround it. Hanging exterior lanterns accent the grounds from beams surrounding the home.

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Stone is also used in the exterior construction along with handmade brick and tile work. The wood is the focal feature of the home's exterior and interior design. The third floor was planned as a billiard room but was used as an attic by the Gamble family. While the kitchen was beautiful, it still was missing some important details to be truly reflective of the overall 1908 interpretation of the house. Although incredibly intact, the kitchen of the Gamble House had a few details that were not reflective of the desired 1908 interpretation.

About the Greene and Greene Architects

The family moved in immediately, and the house and all of it's specially-designed furnishings were officially finished in 1910. In 1907 they decided to build a permanent home in their adopted hometown, and hired the firm of Greene and Greene to design the home. The Greene brothers were known for their Ultimate Bungalows (think supersized Craftsman homes) which were heavily influenced by traditional Japanese architecture, and the Gamble House is without a doubt the finest example of their work. David and his wife Mary commissioned the architect brothers Charles and Henry Greene to design and build their California home, which was intended to be their winter residence. The Gambles met the Greenes in 1907 when they were building a house for the Gambles' soon-to-be neighbors.

Tours are offered now, as the Gamble House is both a museum and a National Historic Landmark. The essential nature of architecture by Greene & Greene begins with intense attention to detail and craftsmanship, as their bungalows mark the height of the American Arts and Crafts style. The brothers were inspired by the concept of total design, or gesamtkunstwerk, which was stressed in the German-designed rooms at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase International Exposition in St. Louis. When they met David and Mary Gamble, they already had developed a list of rich couples who commissioned them to design their houses, with generous budgets and relatively free reign.

While most Craftsman bungalows constructed at the time were small, the Greene brothers expanded on the traditional floor plan to create an “ultimate bungalow” that evokes a sense of grandeur while remaining grounded. The Gamble House was built in 1908 by the Greene and Greene architecture firm for David B. Gamble, son of the Procter & Gamble Founder James Gamble, in Pasadena, California. Today it is considered to be an iconic example of American Craftsman architecture.

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