Born in Vienna, Richard Neutra (1892-1970) moved to the United States in 1923, worked briefly for Frank Lloyd Wright, and then moved to Los Angeles, where he launched a practice with fellow émigré R.M. Schindler. He soon set up his own office, from which he played a crucial role in the development and public acceptance of modern architecture across the United States and around the world. As a practitioner, mentor, and thinker his influence was deep and enduring. He achieved recognition at the outset of his 45-year practice, and his reputation has flowered since his death. He was prolific and extraordinarily consistent in his inventive variations on a few basic themes.
Neutra devoted most of his energies to the single-family house, but he applied the same conscientious skill to everything his office produced, including multiple housing, schools, public and institutional buildings, and places of worship. His spirit is still alive and he has enriched the lives of countless occupants and users. Most of his three hundred buildings have survived and are cherished, but there have been tragic losses, and several more are at risk.