About
Influential architect with a taste for dramatically futuristic designs; created many of Los Angeles' landmark structures. He was known for fusing progressive engineering with a more humane approach to architecture.
Before Fame
He followed his father into the liberal arts, studying everything from philosophy to art and drafting at the Northern State Teachers College.
Trivia
His houses, like the Silvertop home overlooking the Silverlake area of Los Angeles, were used by Hollywood productions, including "Diamonds are Forever," the 1971 James Bond film.
Family Life
He grew up in Marquette, Michigan, his father, John Edward Lautner, a German immigrant who studied at the University of Michigan and founded the Northern State Teachers College. He wed MaryBud Roberts in 1934.
Associated With
He was an apprentice and employee of the famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright from 1933 until 1939, whom he contacted after reading Lloyd Wright's autobiography in 1933.
