Third-Rate Actor Tears Down Mid-Century Masterpiece to Build McMansion

[Teasing the Korean]

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/apr/19/chris-pratt-katherine-schwarzenegger-zimmerman-destroy-historic-house-los-angeles

 

[sonnymax]

Third rate? Wiki: His films as a leading actor have grossed over $13 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. Pratt was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2015.

[jazzbo]

That's what we do here in Merika--we tear down what is hardly old so that we can make money demo'ing and rebuilding. It's nutty but it's the Way.

[felser]

FWIW, I think the Zimmerman house is (was) ugly!

[JSngry]

“Perhaps a historic-cultural monument designation could have saved the Zimmerman house, or allowed the necessary time to delay demolition. Tragically, calls for preservation fell on deaf ears.”

So hey. Apparently  Chris Pratt wasn't the only one who didn't give a shit, so don't blame him.

[medjuck]

Looks like half the houses in LA. 

[Teasing the Korean]

8 hours ago, JSngry said:

“Perhaps a historic-cultural monument designation could have saved the Zimmerman house, or allowed the necessary time to delay demolition. Tragically, calls for preservation fell on deaf ears.”

So hey. Apparently  Chris Pratt wasn't the only one who didn't give a shit, so don't blame him.

I do blame him.  He could have bought a vacant lot, probably for cheaper than what he paid for this property plus the demolition.

15 hours ago, sonnymax said:

Third rate? Wiki: His films as a leading actor have grossed over $13 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. Pratt was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2015.

Yeah, maybe I was a little harsh. I'll be sure to check out Guardians of the Galaxy 4 and Super Mario Brothers when they come to the Criterion Channel. 😹

[Dan Gould]

7 hours ago, medjuck said:

Looks like half the houses in LA. 

This is what I was thinking ... losing one hardly erases history.

 

I also wonder exactly how many empty lots still exist. The location might make it extra value as a place for that McMansion. 

I also think its awfully nice that they plan a Mother-In-Law pool house so Maria Shriver can cross the street for a visit and keep a toothbrush on the property.

[Ken Dryden]

A number of classic homes on West Paces Ferry near the Governor's mansion in Atlanta have been razed over the years and replaced with McMansions. Of course, the only way to preserve a historic, classic home is to set up a trust and donate it to a foundation with the stipulation that it can't be razed or excessively remodeled. But heirs usually want the money and don't care about preserving buildings.

It is always interesting how people want to control other people's property, which costs them nothing to do. 

[sonnymax]

1 hour ago, Teasing the Korean said:

...Yeah, maybe I was a little harsh. I'll be sure to check out Guardians of the Galaxy 4 and Super Mario Brothers when they come to the Criterion Channel. 

That's rich coming from a guy that thinks William Shatner is a music artist.

1 hour ago, Teasing the Korean said:

I do blame him.  He could have bought a vacant lot, probably for cheaper than what he paid for this property plus the demolition...

A cheaper, vacant lot that's across the street from his mother-in-law?

And what the hell is a McMansion? Does it come with fries? 

[Dan Gould]

I've heard the term "McMansion" since at least the 90s. Used in my family's neck of the woods (Fairfield County, CT) to refer to new construction that is over-sized relative to the lot, and often designed in a horrid Faux-Colonial style. Sometimes built to replace legitimate Colonials from the 18th century, for good measure.

More generally used to describe new homes built for people with far more money than taste.

 

Edit to add: Also used to describe spec house developments in wealthier towns. Those were for people who had more money than taste and didn't care that their McMansion was like a Levittown house on steroids, with each floorplan in the neighborhood exactly the same.

Edited April 24, 2024 by Dan Gould

[Milestones]

I don't recall ever seeing a Chris Pratt movie.  I wouldn't recognize him on the street.  This is the modern idea of a silver screen star?

 

[Teasing the Korean]

36 minutes ago, Milestones said:

I don't recall ever seeing a Chris Pratt movie.  I wouldn't recognize him on the street.  This is the modern idea of a silver screen star?

Same here.  In fairness to the guy, pop culture has become much more fragmented than it used to be.  Instead of there being a smaller group of celebrities whom everyone knows, there are now zillions of celebrities whom are recognized only by certain segments of the population.  

[Milestones]

But as you pointed out earlier, Guardians of the Galaxy 4 and Super Mario Brothers?????

 

[JSngry]

Parks and Recreation is the extent of my exposure to Pratt. That was good and that was enough.

[Teasing the Korean]

2 minutes ago, Milestones said:

But as you pointed out earlier, Guardians of the Galaxy 4 and Super Mario Brothers?????

I'm sure they're huge, but I don't know anyone who watches that kind of kitsch. If they do, they certainly don't bring it up in my presence.  

[JSngry]

Oh yeah, the Mario movie. Watched that with my granddaughter. It was fun.

Sorry for invading your presence.

[rostasi]

Architecture forum: "Hey! What's all this brouhaha about some famous jazz guy's master tapes being erased. It's such ugly music. I don't see how erasing this changes anything historically ... and, you know, it's not like you can't find music like this all over the place anyway."

Edited April 24, 2024 by rostasi

[JSngry]

Bottom line - nobody cared enough to preserve that house.

Nobody.

End of story.

 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

This is happening where I live and I see the same arguments on Facebook. "How can they tear down such a historic house?" But when it's pointed out that the house went up for sale and no one talked about buying it to preserve it, they all shut up quickly. Everyone's for preservation until someone asks you for money.

There was one tiny house by the beach that caused a lot of angst. This place was tiny - a 2-story ugly box that was maybe 1,100 sq.ft. It had 4 tiny 9 x 9 bedrooms on the 2nd floor and a single bathroom on the 1st floor. Fun! It reportedly had some old knob & tube wiring. Double fun! The new owners bought it for $2.2 Million and went for approval to tear it down. People asked the town to stop them. Yet, diagonally across the street, another, similar building was torn down and replaced with a modern beach house without a peep from anyone. The town knew they couldn't do anything about it so it got torn down. The mansion that's there now looks pretty good,  better than the old house in my opinion.

Old isn't always better.

[JSngry]

This notion of the permanence of man-made objects is folly. Just look around. Every thing goes at some point.

Well, maybe not pyramids. 

Otherwise, survival of the fittest applies to objects as well as to living species.

[clifford_thornton]

20 hours ago, sonnymax said:

Third rate? Wiki: His films as a leading actor have grossed over $13 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. Pratt was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2015.

He's not a good actor, though he is pricey!

Sucks about the house. Does "intact" mean that there wasn't mold or other significant issues with it? Might have had good bones but enough other problems stacked up that rendered it safer/saner/cheaper to tear down.

[soulpope]

21 hours ago, Teasing the Korean said:

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/apr/19/chris-pratt-katherine-schwarzenegger-zimmerman-destroy-historic-house-los-angeles

 

A country with a comparably short cultural history is unable to preserve parts of the forementioned .... some countries are able (and willing) to maintain monumental protection/urban heritage conservation ....

[rostasi]

I just love those early jazz guys! They're so old!!

[JSngry]

56 minutes ago, soulpope said:

A country with a comparably short cultural history is unable to preserve parts of the forementioned .... some countries are able (and willing) to maintain monumental protection/urban heritage conservation ....

I don't know, we seem to do well with dead soldiers and shit like that...