Photo by Ben H.
Moderator: Please move the last comments under the 3448 Locke Lane topic that pertain to this topic to this topic.
According to another post on HAIF, the contemporary masterpiece at 9602 Moonlight Drive in Meyerland is to be sold to a new owner who will have it demolished. Stephen Fox, in the American Institute of Architects Houston Architectural Guide states, "This is a quite extraordinary production, a circular steel-framed pavilion, capped with a folded plate roof, which is only part of a much larger contemporary style house."
This house is truly a masterpiece of mid twentieth century design. It by far surpasses almost any others. Even when compared to the finest of California, this house would shine. Of all the sites available in Houston, it certainly must be possible to find a lot with a less stunning house to sacrifice.
Robert Cohen, the designer and builder of the house, incorporated the most lavish elements and themes of the period. If my memory is correct, you enter through double doors after crossing pads of concrete over a pond water feature. The foyer is walled with floor to ceiling glass panels which lead to the circular steel framed living pavilion. There are triangular windows topping each wall segment created by the folded plate roof structure and also glass at the base of each wall panel. This pavilion is anchored to the ground only at the center of the circle by an elevated platform. The floor beams are thus cantilevered out from this center platform so the pavilion appears to float above the lawn. Two of the wall panels are glass while the others are upholstered in raw silk and used as art gallery space. A custom made sofa, probably twenty feet in length, which corresponded to the curvature of the outside wall, is situated upon a custom rug and forms the primary sitting area.
The convergence of the roof plates is the location of a circular skylight with a corresponding floor planter box containing several preserved palm trees. The kitchen area is also located within the pavilion space, behind a partial wall partition. The kitchen is styled similarly to photographs you see of the proposed Moon Base of the same period. Behind the kitchen are large storage areas, a bedroom and garage. The dining room, located next to the pavilion, is near the kitchen. The dining room will remind you of being inside of Jeanie's bottle from the 1960s television show
I Dream of Jeanie. The color scheme, like Jeanie's bottle, is pink and purple. One wall features narrow vertical diamond shaped cutouts opening to the foyer and is accented with fur wall covering. Glass sliding doors lead from this area to the patio and pool.
Back through the foyer extends a corridor leading to a guest bathroom, an office with several built-ins, and a master bedroom all on the back or pool view side of the corridor. The master bedroom has an aquarium built into the wall and also is complete with some built in furniture pieces, one of which houses the control panel to the sophisticated lighting and sound system for the house. Opposite the master bedroom is another bathroom, guest room and a large bedroom divided by a folding wall for the children. Small, walled and gated gardens are accessible from these rooms.
The family room is located at the end of this wing of the house and overlooks the large swimming pool and patio/lawn area. The space is expansive since the lot is almost one-half acre in size.
Photo
Photo
This post has been edited by SpaceAge: Thursday, August 16, 2007 at 2:34 AM