Lautner's 'Lebowski' to LACMA

Goldstein bought the house in 1972, and since then he has added a Skyscape designed by James Turrell to the property, a tennis court, and a building with an office and a nightclub run by the property investor. All of the structures and land are part of the gift to LACMA, which also consists of a $17 million endowment for maintenance. LACMA plans on organizing limited tours and events while Goldstein is still living in the house, though their longterm plans also include conferences, exhibitions, fundraisers, and collaborations with other institutions.

The house is widely known through a relatively short scene in The Big Lebowski, when "the Dude" tells adult-film producer Jackie Treehorn, "Quite a pad you got here, man." But Goldstein has allowed the house to be used for fashion shoots, music videos and other films; a visit to his Instagram shows just some of the latest (mixed in with many shots of tennis and basketball).

Pop culture references aside, the house is notable as being one of Lautner's most dramatic houses, perched on a hillside above Beverly Hills with views of Downtown LA. Mentored by Frank Lloyd Wright, John Lautner produced a number of singular, unprecedented houses in the Los Angeles area after moving there in 1938. The Chemosphere, an octagon house propped upon a central stem, is another Lautner house like the Sheats-Goldstein house that has been shared widely through images in film.

Lautner died in 1994, though starting in 1979 he consulted with Goldstein on some of the changes made to the house – most notably sliding glass walls and built-in concrete furniture in the living room – so they were in keeping with the original ideals but did not encase the original as a time capsule. What the house has evolved to in the last 40 years is best seen on Goldstein's own website.