National Charity League Administration Building and Observation Nursery School

National Charity League Administration Building and Observation Nursery School

Neutra and Alexander’s design for the National Charity League Administration Building and Observation Nursery School resulted in a T-shaped complex of buildings on Hollywood Boulevard which is still maintained by the National Charity League today. The different structures on the site are composed of brick, white stucco, glass, stainless steel, and aluminum. The administration wing presides over the site from its south end. The building’s elegant façade has a two-story, glass entrance while a ribbon of windows on either side is anchored by bands of white and brown structural glass above and below. A steel trellis and privacy screen on the ground floor of the building suggests an interest in industrial materials, even if they are used in moderation, while four spider legs spring from the “penthouse” at the top of the building, where mechanical equipment was housed. Classroom buildings run on an axis perpendicular to the administration building. These classrooms were initially intended to provide opportunities for the observation of children with mental health conditions and design features, including brick walls and elevated doorknobs, were meant to thwart children’s ability to escape. Playgrounds and accompanying greenery are located on either side of the classrooms.

Adapted from Neutra – Complete Works by Barbara Lamprecht (Taschen, 2000), p. 363.