Curators of the iconic Hollyhock House in Los Angeles are worried that a new development project may threaten its chances of getting included in the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List. According to Curbed LA, the project in question is a 83-foot 6-story commercial building, which when completed, will block the view of the famous landmark.
"The view from this site is critical to its outstanding universal value," curator Jeffrey Herr told the Los Feliz Ledger. "The basic issue is that it will create a huge visual blot on the landscape. Even if the heights were lowered so you could see over it, you'd still see it from above."
The Hollyhock House was designed and built in the early 1920s by Frank Lloyd Wright, considered to be "the greatest American architect of all time." It was commissioned by oil heiress and socialite Aline Barnsdall, who intended it to be part of an arts and theater complex within the property.
In 1927, Barnsdall donated the house to the city of Los Angeles. In 2007, the U.S. Department of the Interior deemed Hollyhock House as a National Historic Landmark. And in 2008, it was submitted to UNESCO for a tentative spot in the World Heritage Site list. Should it be approved, Hollyhock House will join other monuments with outstanding value to humanity, including New York's Statue of Liberty.
After much renovations, Hollyhock House re-opened to the public in February 2015, and its opening day drew a large crowd, with many people waiting in line for more than three hours just to get in.
The proposed commercial building is yet to be reviewed by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning. Hollyhock House's officials insist that they welcome any development in the area, but ask that they do not undermine Hollyhock's cultural significance.
"We're not opposed to development [in general]," Herr concluded. "We're only opposed to development that would negatively impact the historical value of the neighborhood."
