John Lautner and Real Architecture

By Betsy Speicher

Frank Lloyd Wright called him “the world’s second-best architect.”¹ His spectacular homes have been the settings for commercials, Vogue fashion spreads, and dozens of movies. Most people have seen his astonishing work, but very few know his name. It’s John Lautner.

Lautner’s “Chemosphere,” built in 1960, looks like a flying saucer or the home of the Jetso…