Los Angeles-based architecture practice Conner + Perry Architects has revealed a new Club James addition to Los Angeles’ iconic mid-century residence originally designed by John Lautner in the 1962. 

The development and completion of the accessory entertainment facility represents a fully collaborative effort between Goldstein and three design teams spanning nearly fifty years, which was initially envisioned by estate owner James Goldstein and renowned mid-century architect John Lautner.

Club James: The newly completed accessory complex, Club James, emerges from the lush jungle landscape, its crystalline geometries playing against the surrounding wild flora and bright blue southern California skies. The infinity tennis court roof sits atop the canted glass enclosure of the office, which floats effortlessly above the lower terrace and pool

Conner + Perry Architects have unveiled the recently finished annex, Club James, at the Sheats-Goldstein Residence.

The Sheats-Goldstein Residence, one of the most well-known mid-century homes in Los Angeles, is almost as iconic as the Hollywood sign itself. 

It has been praised by many in the fields of architecture and design and has appeared in countless movies, TV shows, fashion shows, and music videos.

Club James Nightclub: Concrete seating with custom upholstered silver leather cushions surrounds the stainless-steel dance floor. The cantilevered DJ booth in the background is the control center for state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems that give the space a fully immersive nightclub experience. A portrait of owner Jim Goldstein in his iconic couture, shot by photographer Mikael Jansson, watches over the space near the main entry

The renowned Beverly Hills enclave has a lengthy and intricate construction history that started in 1962 with John Lautner and the Sheats family and continued with Lautner and current owner James Goldstein. 

Over the course of the last seven decades, the enclave has undergone numerous expansions and enhancements in partnership with three different architectural teams.

Offices: Goldstein’s office is located at the southwest corner of the building and features a unique canted frameless glass enclosure that heightens the dramatic sense of the space pushing out into the view beyond. A custom cantilevered concrete desk dominates the room providing a spectacular perch from which to look out on the city. Custom stainless-steel shelves and built-in concrete and leather cabinetry house basketball memorabilia and photographs of Goldstein with a variety of celebrity friends. Behind (Off-Camera, Right) are the offices of Goldstein’s assistants, featuring glass clerestories and custom built-in concrete and leather office furniture

Goldstein worked with Conner + Perry Architects' Kristopher Conner and James Perry on the design, and since 2015, they have been in charge of the additions. Before that, the two collaborated as Project Architects with Lautner's associate and apprentice, Duncan Nicholson, who remained at the property after Lautner's passing in 1994.

Adjacent to the original residence is Club James, the most recent development on the property. Because the planned hillside tennis court would require extensive construction, it was decided that the office and a new entertainment area should be housed beneath the new building.

Club James Office: Behind the striking cantilevered concrete and stainless-steel desk of James Goldstein one looks out over the garden to the panoramic views of Los Angeles beyond as day breaks on the city

The wood and cardboard model that hangs in the house today is a remnant of Lautner's original master plan, but Goldstein and Nicholson and then Conner + Perry Architects worked together to create the current Club James design. 

An entertainment area, a VIP room/library, offices for Goldstein and his staff, a movie screening room, an outdoor terrace with kitchen and dining amenities, a pool, and a spa were all added as the project progressed. Construction began in the early 2000s. The most recent outdoor terrace design by the current team was finished in 2023 and includes the main staircase, dining tables, locker room, pool, kitchen and BBQ areas, and restroom.

Nightclub Bar: The club’s one-of-a-kind concrete bar cantilevers dramatically at one end pointing toward the hidden entry to the VIP Room/Library and Restrooms. In this image one can see the various treatments of each concrete surface. The floors are a pebble finish, matching the walking surfaces throughout the property both inside and out. The walls and vertical surfaces are board-formed with a 1-1/2” wide plank, a subtle variation of the wider plank utilized more sparingly in the original residence. The countertop is highly polished and waxed, as are all the other horizontal utility and seating surfaces. And the ceilings are board-formed but have been sand blasted to provide a subtler texture and expose more of the aggregate

"The most rewarding aspect of this project is working with a client and patron like Jim who enjoys the process as much as the outcome and has the perseverance to pursue an architecture that will stand the test of time," said James Perry.

"It was a huge responsibility and an honor to take over the reins of this project and to be included in the lineage of amazing designers involved in the development and expansion of the property over the decades," added Kristopher Conner. 

"It is a delicate balance to preserve and respect the genius of the original residence while developing designs that are in dialogue with it. We look at our work as an evolution of the visual language established by Lautner. The DNA of the house is there, but the expression is adapted to the environment and functions of the new spaces."

Club James Office: View from inside the dynamic canted glass enclosure of the office looking east along the nightclub façade toward the lower terrace pool and lush vegetation surrounding the original residence beyond. Here you can see how the geometry and minimal frameless glass details give the sense of the interior pushing out into the open space beyond

In addition to creating these innovative and dynamic designs, Conner + Perry Architects is in charge of the original Sheats-Goldstein Residence's upkeep and restoration, as well as the James Turrell Skyspace installation "Above Horizon"s repairs and enhancements. 

Like Nicholson before them, Conner and Perry's designs seek to respect Lautner and Goldstein's architectural heritage by adhering to the principles of organic architecture, modifying fundamental concepts to suit new purposes, coming up with fresh details and forms, and designing areas that honor the human spirit's capacity for freedom.

Club James: View from the lushly planted tropical garden pathway below, looking through the steel Arc sculpture by Bernar Venet, back up at Club James; with its hovering 100-foot-long concrete pool, cantilevered stair up to the nightclub and office level, and the infinity tennis court on the roof

"The thing that differentiates this property from many other significant mid-century homes in LA is that it is not a static museum frozen in time or a private retreat," said Perry. 

"It is full of life, with tours, and shoots, and events, all of which expose the public to this unique work of art; and it is alive in that it is continuously progressing and improving, with a lineage of three generations of architects and a team of consultants and trades people who make it all possible," Perry added.

Lower Terrace Lounge: Built-in concrete seating with custom upholstered cushions wrapping around a cantilevered concrete table. The composition is emblematic of the firm’s design approach, adapting the visual language established on the project to new functions and contexts, continuing to blur the line between architecture and furniture

To guarantee that this architectural gem and cultural icon will be conserved, accessible to the public, and able to inspire upcoming generations of designers, Goldstein has actually left the entire property, along with his extensive fashion and art collections, to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in an incredible act of philanthropy.

Lower Terrace Formal Dining: Below the club and offices is the outdoor entertainment terrace, which features multiple dining areas each with dramatic concrete tables. The table in the formal dining area is an engineering marvel, its slender profile cantilevering approximately 11 feet in both directions from a single tapered center support

"John Lautner's work is a radical advancement in his teacher Frank Lloyd Wright's search for a uniquely American architectural language; it is somehow both of its time and timeless, an expression of boundless optimism and freedom, an attempt to reconnect us to nature through an embrace of technological advancement with a deep appreciation of human craft," concluded Conner. 

"The Sheats-Goldstein residence is one of the best examples of these pursuits, as Lautner was given the opportunity, the time, and the means to perfect the home over years of collaboration with Goldstein. James and I have had the privilege of continuing Lautner and Goldstein’s work, while making our own unique contributions to the property’s legacy."

Lower Terrace Restroom: Water cascades from the custom-fabricated cantilevering stainless-steel faucet into the all-glass sink as it is carried down the inside edge of the glass guardrail to a drain in the pebble finished concrete slab below. The sink is an homage to the Lautner-designed glass sink in the original residence’s primary bathroom, providing an unobstructed view into the lush tropical landscape beyond

Sheats-Goldstein Residence: The living room, the focal point of the home, immortalized in film and an icon of modern architecture. It is one of Lautner’s truest expressions of his interpretation of organic philosophy. The famous concrete triangle coffered ceiling with hundreds of tiny round skylights is at once massive and light. The frameless glass wall and continuity of the building with the landscape blurs the boundaries between the indoor and outdoor space

Sheats-Goldstein Residence: View of the original Lautner-designed residence’s main entrance vestibule with a koi pond garden featuring a waterfall and glass and concrete foot bridge. The entire entry procession and secondary spaces of the main floor are covered by a low-slung redwood ceiling that compresses the space giving it a more intimate scale and emphasizing the dramatic transition into the iconic living room space beyond

Lower Terrace Stair Detail: The stainless-steel handrail seems to delicately hover in mid-air, supported only by the frameless glass guardrails. The project’s characteristic board-formed concrete provides a substantive yet refined backdrop for their dramatic angular geometries

Sheats-Goldstein Residence: View stepping out from the living room onto the pool deck wrapped in pebble finished concrete. The powerful yet light triangulated concrete coffered roof structure hangs overhead, punctuated with tiny skylights that allow the sunlight to dapple through. The zero edge of the pool sits flush to the surface of the deck and was the first of its kind in the United States

Club James Nightclub: Concrete entry into Club James looking back at the main entry stair. Here you can see the interplay of light and shadow with the complex geometries and the versatility and subtlety that the various treatments of the concrete surfaces bring to the space

Club James Office: Looking out through the canted frameless glass enclosure of Goldstein’s office at dawn, the dynamic angles and minimal custom fittings create a crystalline form that pushes out into the space over the terrace and pool. Featuring the "Tetra Chair" by Jude Chaaban and Aya Elmokadam

Club James Office Detail: This all-glass detail is a modification of the door pulls in the original Lautner-designed residence, illustrating the new project's ties to the adjacent home. It is a prime example of how the organic philosophy's holistic approach permeates the entire design at every scale, and materials are expressed in their purest forms

Lower Terrace Stair: A concrete cantilevered stair winds from the terrace level down into the lush gardens below. As the architecture reaches out into the landscape it becomes more dynamic responding to the topography and wild fauna. The angular stainless-steel handrail floats above the structure supported only by frameless glass stanchions

Lower Terrace Infinity Pool: The pebble concrete deck becomes the pool as a striking glass shard defines the corner overlooking the pool spillway, gardens, and views of the city and Pacific Ocean beyond

Nightclub: Below the court is a fully functioning private nightclub. This facility includes a full concrete and stainless-steel bar, state-of-the-art sound and light systems controlled from a cantilevered stainless-steel DJ booth, stainless-steel dance floor, a 26-foot-long LED display wall, and operable glass façade framing the panoramic view of the city

’Above Horizon’ Turrell Skyspace: The Skyspace oculus and window are opened up during the day, framing the brilliant azure sky. The artwork was originally intended by Goldstein to be a collaboration between James Turrell and John Lautner, however Lautner passed away before the design process could begin in earnest. The installation was completed in 2004 under the direction of architect Duncan Nicholson. Most recently the lighting and programming have been upgraded by Turrell’s studio in consultation with Conner + Perry

Sheats-Goldstein Residence: View of the operable frameless corner windows of the primary bedroom suite looking out to the view of Century City and beyond. The built-in concrete and leather lounge with swiveling cantilevered stainless steel and triangular glass cocktail tables, the exotic Bubinga wood floors, frameless glass, and exposed concrete were all part of the improvements to the original residence undertaken with Lautner and Goldstein between 1979 and 1994

Lower Terrace: The newly completed lowest level of Club James. In the foreground, the new pool reflects the upper levels of the office and tennis court above in the dwindling evening sunlight. The outdoor entertainment terrace features multiple dining areas with dramatically cantilevered concrete tables, a lounge area, full bar, and a fully functioning catering kitchen with a custom concrete and stainless-steel bar-b-que. Bordering the terrace on the south edge lies a pool with a 100-foot-long infinity edge. At the cantilevered western end of the pool is a triangular spa separated from the pool by a nearly invisible acrylic wall. Adjacent to the spa is a fire pit and cantilevered concrete bench. A restroom with outdoor glass sink and a changing room were also added

Site plan

Tennis court plan

Recreation room

Section AA

Section BB

After working on the Goldstein property under Nicholson since 2007, architects James Perry and Kristopher Conner established their own firm, Conner + Perry Architects, and assumed responsibility as the property's architects of record. 

Future projects for the firm will include the estate's upcoming stages of development, which will include a theater and a guest house. James Goldstein left the whole estate to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in 2016, along with his large art and fashion collections.

Project facts

Project name: Sheats-Goldstein Residence

Client/Homeowner: James F. Goldstein

Architect (Current): Conner + Perry Architects

Architect (Past): Nicholson Architects

Architect (Original): Lautner Associates

Structural Engineer: Andrew Nasser, Omnispan Corporation

Civil Engineer: CRC Enterprises

Soils Engineer: Robertson Geological Inc

Geologist: Irvine Geotechnical Inc

Mechanical Engineer: The Sullivan Partnership Inc

Landscape Engineer: Eric Nagelmann

Lighting Designer: SJ Lighting

Sound Consultant: Sound Investment AV

General Contractor (Current): Empire Group Fine Construction Inc

General Contractor (Previous): Ostermann Construction

Metal Fabricator: Breakform Design

Glass Contractor: Giroux Glass Inc

Tennis Court Contractor: Zaino Tennis Courts Inc

Electrician: Erik Rettedal

Upholstery: Gina Berschneider, Inc

Number of Floors: 4

Site Area: 2.22 acres

Square Footage: 7,125-square-feet; 4,389-square-feet of patios and decks

Top image in the article: Lower Terrace Stair: Elevation view of the main entertainment terrace cantilevered concrete stair; with a bar and lounge area behind, and leading up to the office and nightclub second level. The stair is an excellent example of the intense collaborative design process between the architects and owner James Goldstein: after the lounge area was completed Goldstein requested that the stair be redesigned to preserve the views as much as possible. In response Conner + Perry cantilevered the entire structure from a single point, and following Goldstein’s suggestion added the triangular opening in the stair stringer, a detail which references similar motifs found in the original Lautner-designed residence.

All images © Joe Fletcher Photography.

All drawings © Conner + Perry Architects.

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