Paul Laszlo (1900-1993): Hertz bomb shelter

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Description

Rental car company founder John Hertz commissioned Laszlo to build a bomb shelter in the backyard of his Woodland Hills, Calif. ranch, due to Hertz' concern over a possible nuclear attack on the Los Angeles area. Laszlo spent years designing the structure, as well as researching the building codes and discussing the effects of nuclear fallout with experts. According to archival material, Laszlo even tried to witness a nuclear blast through contacting the Office of Civil Defense for permission to travel to a military base. The Hertz shelter was equipped with sleeping areas, kitchen, bathroom, elevator, stairs, and an escape hatch.
The Architecture and Design Collection also houses the Roland Coate archive, which includes plans for the Hertz house and bomb shelter addition.

Creator

Paul Laszlo, designer

Source

Paul László papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.

Date

1953-1955

Rights

Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. University of California Regents.

Citation

Paul Laszlo, designer, “Paul Laszlo (1900-1993): Hertz bomb shelter,” UCSB ADC Omeka, accessed March 29, 2024, http://www.adc-exhibits.museum.ucsb.edu/items/show/225.