Thomas Mann House

The Bauhaus principle of “form follows function” inspired the concept for updating the home. Under the planning and management of the LenzWerk Holding from Berlin, classics from various decades of German design were used to create a timeless, welcoming space in the California residence now owned by the German government. The interior concept focused primarily on maintaining the openness of the home. In selecting the design and materials for the restoration work, special attention was paid to emphasizing the character of the house. The characteristic Occhio interplay of timeless design, high-quality surfaces and a carefully crafted lighting concept align the past with the present in the Thomas Mann House.

The functional design of the Più R ceiling spotlight creates glare-free ambient lighting for all the rooms and hallways. The signature Occhio beam of light as well as the play of light and shadow on the walls lend the rooms a certain dynamic. Occhio reading luminaires in bronze tones add highlights, harmonizing with the light-colored seating areas in the common rooms and bedrooms and captivating with their superior quality of light.

Thomas Mann and his family lived in L.A. for ten years. The house on San Remo Drive, designed by the German architect Julius Ralph Davidson, became an important meeting place for artists and intellectuals in these years – from philosophers like Theodor Adorno and Albert Einstein to Berthold Brecht. Acquired in 2016 by the Federal Republic of Germany, the scholarship program of Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House e. V. for intellectuals from culture, politics, economics, media and science will now take place here. For this purpose, the house, built in 1942, was initially restored to its original state as part of renovation work.