The Los Angeles County Museum of Art Gifted the Big Lebowski House

“I want the house to be an educational tool for young architects, and I want to inspire good architecture for Los Angeles”, Goldstein told Christopher Hawthorne of the Los Angeles Times.

The house’s sweeping views, indoor-outdoor design and geometric construction are stunning on their own, but the space becomes even more awe-inspiring when taking into account its James Turrell skyspace, “Above Horizon”, hidden amongst the estate’s tropical gardens.

I’ve been able to visit the property several times, once during a tour of the home with Goldstein himself. Construction has been nearly ongoing since Mr. Goldstein first began to transform the house and surrounding hillside in 1979, under Mr. Lautner’s supervision.

It’s great news for LACMA, which will eventually be used for fundraisers, exhibits, and other programming.

As the flamboyant, very L.A. property that it is, the home has also served as a backdrop in countless music videos, fashion shoots and parties.

Not many museums have architectural pieces like this in their collection. The house is more or less original, but some materials, built-ins, and motorized elements have been replaced; rooms on the lower level were also combined into one baller master suite furnished in concrete and featuring a see-through bathroom (it’s blocked off by concrete).

Hawthorne dives into the history of the Sheats-Goldstein House-read his story here-and several of the complexities in preserving it. Aside from Jack Nicholson, Goldstein may be the city’s most famous basketball “superfan”, sitting court side at more than 100 games per season.

Goldstein’s donation comes almost a decade into Govan’s tenure at the LACMA, but represents a significant acquisition for the museum; LACMA estimates the total value somewhere around $40 million.