The Roxy Roth House by architect Rudolph M. Schindler was officially completed in 1946—but by the looks of it, it could've been done in 1964 or 2064.
This sculptural architectural masterwork—part of Schindler's "Space Architecture" movement—stands on a Studio City hill as though it landed there from a galaxy far, far away.
A staircase like a jetway beckons visitors to come aboard...
...but an office, converted from a two-car garage by architect Barbara Bestor in 2007, provides a meaningful distraction with its clerestory windows and walls all akimbo.
Once you ascend to the third floor—the "upper" level, or the main living level of the house—the typical Schindleresque built-ins begin to unfurl.
The house looks kind of huge from the outside; but inside, there's an economy of space at play.
There are so many nooks to explore and settle into.
A picture window at the back of the living room looks out onto a turfed patio (technically, the roof of the carport)—like a television set broadcasting scenes from a playing field of sport.
Outside is where the real magic lies, I'd say, with a winding path leading even further upwards...
...past blooming plants being pollinated by bees...
...and up to a vista that overlooks all the jutting angles of a structure that no longer resembles a spaceship, but some retrofuturistic domicile.
What man creates such corners? And what man commissions them?
Of course, Schindler was a master of alcoves and hidden storage—and musician/comedy writer Roxy Roth (who worked with Betty White, Milton Berle, and Jackie Gleason) had just the right temperament to make himself right at home in such an oddly-shaped object.
Of course, to live in the Roxy Roth House, you can't be too accustomed to privacy. The living room has got a clear view right into the main bedroom.
But it's still cozy, with some recessed lighting hidden behind some flip-out doors built into the wooden headboard.
The house is currently for sale, for $2.5 million—a rare occurrence, considering it's only had four owners over the last 80 years. (One of them was author Susan Orlean. Another was a producer of the TV show Scandal.)
Its current owner has the second floor—one floor up from the street, but still considered the "lower" level—outfitted for children's quarters, so clearly it's been suitable for family living.
But it would do just as well as a supervillain's lair. Or an alien hideaway.
To see the Roth House in its pre-renovation state, as well as Schindler's original architectural plans, click here.
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