“ I saw James Turrell’ s work in museums and also at the Pace Gallery [ in New York ] and I was really excited about it,” explains Goldstein.“ I was thinking, and this probably goes back to 1990, that I wanted a collaboration between Lautner and Turrell, the three of us had a couple of meetings and things were underway but getting the city to approve this was a laborious process. It took a number of years and by the time I was ready to start construction, Lautner was no longer around. So, then it became a project with me and Duncan Nicholson [ Lautner protégé and Goldstein’ s architect since Lautner’ s death in 1994 ] and Turrell.” turrell provided the specs and dimensions for the room and Goldstein and Nicholson did the rest. It’ s an astonishing, almost Gehry-ish structure, jutting out from the green forest into the eternal blue sky. Goldstein had the idea to add a window in the southeast corner,“ which Turrell went for and it turned out to be a great addition.” The effect is something like looking through should have your own clothing line, but, number one, my tastes are too extreme to be popular from a commercial standpoint and number two, I don’ t want to get burdened with the business at this point.” it’ s a little cliché to say, but it feels a bit like an Eden up here, although, perhaps, an isolated one. But it’ s certainly splendid isolation if it is that. I ask Goldstein how he ever leaves.“ I love traveling, so now I’ m only here five or six months a year.” I suggest he could rent the forthcoming guesthouse to me for $ 800 a month. He laughs. goldstein tells me he’ s dropped out of the LA social scene recently and doesn’ t entertain as much as he used to, something he hopes to take up again when the new facility is complete. He doesn’ t know exactly when it will all be done, but guesses it could be up to five years.“ They’ re supposed to pour the concrete on the tennis court this summer,” he says, a bit skeptically. When I suggest he may kick the bucket before this is
The multi-use facility on an adjacent property will sit beneath a tennis court and include a theater complex, nightclub, large bar, massive DJ booth, a guesthouse, kitchen and surrounding deck. The structure will be bigger than his primary living space but even he doesn’ t know when it will be completed.“ Who knows,” he says.
porthole and catching a glimpse of the great sea outside. Goldstein fumbles with a remote control that looks like something that would operate a Wii console, and a section of roof peels back to reveal the blue sky.
“ That show starts at 7:30 tonight,” he says.“ It’ s not a sunset you see, but you see the changing colors of the sky. The sky doesn’ t look like the sky. It looks like the ceiling of the room.” I ask if he ever meditates here.
“ I’ m not sure what that means,” he replies dryly.“ I enjoy the experience no matter how many times I’ m here. I’ m not sure if you call that meditation.”
THE FUTURE NEEDS A BIG... DJ BOOTH Goldstein finished the Skyspace six years ago and turned his attention to his current major project, a multi-use facility on an adjacent property that will sit beneath a tennis court. The space will host a theater complex, nightclub, a large bar, massive DJ booth, a guesthouse, kitchen and surrounding deck / dining area. The structure will be bigger than his primary living space.“ I like the idea of separating my house with all the personal possessions from where the parties will be,” he says. i ask Goldstein, given his obvious flair for style, if he ever thought of getting into fashion or design as more than a hobby.“ People say that all the time— you should be an architect or you all complete, he chuckles and says,“ Yeah, but what can you do about that?” i can’ t help but wonder if Goldstein ever wanted someone to share this all with. He’ s never been married and that he says he never really wanted to be.
“ I need to be free,” he says.“ I don’ t like the concept of marriage— the legal aspect of it. I want to be with girls I have a good time with and react on the spur of the moment without feeling I have to be with someone. I’ m also very independent and I operate on my own quite well. I don’ t need to have someone with me all the time.”
Case in point: his entire staff goes home at night. When Goldstein is in town, he’ s usually out by the pool, or if the weather doesn’ t permit, in the den watching TV, basketball most likely.
As it turns out there is someone Goldstein wants to share this all with. When he does pass on, he plans on turning the entire estate over to an institution,“ so it can be maintained in the future in this form and be an inspiration, hopefully to people who appreciate good architecture.”
Somewhere, John Lautner is smiling in his grave. t!
GO TO TREATSMAGAZINE. COM TO SEE THE FULL LENGTH VIDEO TOUR OF THE SHEATS / GOLDSTEIN RESIDENCE. treatsmagazine. com 59