Marcel Sedletzky

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Marcel Sedletzky (March 29, 1923–1995) was an American architect who lived in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. During the post-war era, he emerged as one of the architects and designers contributing to Carmel's architectural landscape from 1958-1974. His was known for his design aesthetic that came from his European training and influence drawn from Le Corbusier's Modernism, combined with elements from the American Craftsman and Third Bay Tradition.^[1]

Early life[edit]

Sedletzky was born on March 29, 1923, in Tsaritsyn (now Volgograd), Russia, a Russian port city on the Volga river. His Polish father was Apollon Sedlecky, a landscape architect, and his mother Elena was a Russian physician.^[2] In 1933, Sedletzky's father was forcibly taken away, by uniformed Bolshevik soldiers, to Siberia, potentially due to being an intellectual, a foreigner, or both. In the face of turmoil, Sedletzky and his mother sought refuge escaping Russia with only two suitcases to their name. Their path led them through various places including Poland where the family lived. Sedletzky received his education in Poland and when they moved south, he attended the German-run Real Gymnasium for Men in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Subsequently, in 1941, he successfully completed his studies, obtaining a Matura degree, which is comparable to two years of junior college in the United States.^[2] During World War II, he and his mother wee drafted into the Germany army and worked behind the front lines.^[3][2]

Eventually, in 1946, he found himself at the Technical University in Graz, Austria, where he pursued an interest in engineering and industrial design, with an emphasis on architecture. He engaged in at least one workshop with the Swiss-born architect of reinforced concrete buildings, Le Corbusier.^[4][1][3][2]

After two years at the school, while working in Zell am See as a junior draftsman, Sedletzky and his mother left Europe on a ship bound for New York City in 1949. They then went to Indianapolis and worked as domestics for the attorney Warrack Wallace and his wife. With the Wallaces' help, Sedletzky gained admission to the University of Cincinnati, despite his limited English skills. In 1950, at the age of 27, he entered an accelerated program established to allow men whose academic pursuits had been interrupted by the war to move more rapidly through course work and on-the-job training. Sedletzky graduated in June 1952 with a B.S. in Architecture.^[2]

On September 15, 1951, he married his first wife Gunnel Maria Roden (1931-1999) in Los Angeles, California. She was Swedish woman several years his junior who had come to Cincinnati to study art. They had three children during their marriage. They divorced in December 1971. He married Barbara Carol on November 9, 1974 in Tulare, California.^[4][2]

Professional background[edit]

Having earned his degree in architecture, Sedletzky moved to Los Angeles, California, where architect Richard Neutra lived. He joined the planning office of Victor Gruen Associates, based in Los Angeles, California, renowned for their shopping mall architecture.^[4][3] In 1956, he earned the title of associate planner. In 1957, upon obtaining his California architecture license, he designed a Hollywood Hills residence for the Shevtzoff family.^[2]

Carmel-by-the-Sea[edit]

In 1958, Sedletzky made the decision to leave Victor Gruen Associates and join the small architectural firm of Robert C. Jones in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, to be closer to his mother, whose second husband was an instructor of Russian at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey.^[3] During his time with Jones, Sedletzky designed a drive-in at Fort Ord. This building featured a parabolic roof and a towering wall of glass, a stark departure from the conventional drive-in designs of that era.^[4]

In 1960, Sedletzky departed from the Jones firm to venture into private architectural practice called Marcel Sedletzky:Architect & Planners at Flanders Drive, which he held for fourteen years.^[5] He then decided to share an office space on Ocean Avenue with Kipp Stewart, a planner.^[4]

During his Carmel years, Sedletzky built fifteen houses in Carmel and its vicinity and design numerous other projects. Due to his attention to detail and his preference for working independently, his productivity rate remained low, averaging around one house per year. As a result, his earnings were not substantial. At that point, he was already a father of three children and occasionally had to seek additional work, such as hiring himself out as an electrician to make ends meet.^[4]

Sedletzky possessed an intense and captivating demeanor, complemented by his physical fitness. He often undertook hiking and riding his 10-speed bicycle to Big Sur and back. As an advocate for nature, he participated in the Sierra Club and even took the lead in organizing their hike down the Arroyo Canyon Gorge.^[4]

When presented with a client's request for a Tudor cottage on Scenic, he crafted a sculptural abstraction that retained the essence of a Tudor cottage. Despite its artistic flair, the interior exuded the warmth and charm expected from such a dwelling.^[4]

Esther M. Hill House[edit]

In 1964, Sedletzky constructed the Esther M. Hill House, situated on Scenic Road and Santa Lucia Avenue on Carmel Point, with a view of Carmel Bay. It is a 3-module house, consisting of two stories, situated on a 40' x 100' lot along an east-west axis. Each module serves a specific function and features a diamond cross gabled roof with a pyramid skylight at the peak. The design incorporates fixed pane glass windows that extend from the overhanging roofline down to concrete walls adorned with Gannet stone. A Carmel stone chimney rises vertically from the South elevation of the front (west) module, which serves as the living room. The central module houses the kitchen-dining area, while the third east module accommodates the bedrooms and bathrooms. The garden and deck area surrounding the house is enclosed by perimeter walls with sloping cornices, mirroring the pattern of the house roof.^[6][7]

The Esther M. Hill house blends geometric forms with natural materials found in the American Craftsman tradition. Embracing the essence of Mid-century modern architecture, the residence has an open plan and is an example of the Third Bay Region style.^[8]

This house fulfills the historical criteria of Carmel city, specifically under criteria #3. It stands as the sole creation by Sedletzky in Carmel-by-the-Sea and remains fully intact on Scenic Drive since the 1960s. The design combines elements of the open plan and natural materials commonly found in the Third Bay Region Style, along with distinctive geometric shapes and structural elements typical of 20th-century modern architecture. Notably, the diamond-shaped cross-gabled roofs take center stage, connecting three modular living units and facilitating imaginative and innovative interior spaces.^[7]

Jackson House[edit]

The Jackson House, perched on a bluff in Carmel Meadows, enveloped by gray outcroppings and overlooking Point Lobos, built in 1962, is widely regarded as Sedletzky's masterpiece. Drawing inspiration from the architectural principles of both Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright, along with Sedletzky's own creativity, this 3,600 square-foot residence is a testament to his vision.^[4][9]

Constructed from reinforced concrete, the house blends with the surrounding buildings and gray mist, making only its top visible from the street. Originally conceived to nestle into the cliff, visitors enter through a slightly dim and narrow passageway at the peak, descending three floors via a concrete and stone staircase that leads to the living room. Here, the space expands, in natural light from the large windows, with a view of Point Lobos.^[4]

Every room in the house enjoys the panorama of Point Lobos, reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright's reverence for nature. While some have likened it to "an ode to Le Corbusier," the Jackson house is a fusion of both Wright and Le Corbusier architectural influences.^[4]

Gansa House[edit]

In 1967 Sedletzky designed the Gansa House, with an unusual parabolic roof in Seacliff built at a cost of about $47,000. Alex Gansa, a physician, commission the house in 1966 as a weekend retreat for his family. The 1,500 square feet house sits in a row of 26 homes on a private road. The deck provides direct access to the beach, with ocean views from the kitchen sink, it has a living room and a loft bedroom. To protect the house from storms, Sedletzky and a structural engineer decided to pour concrete columns in the sand.^[3]

Cal Poly[edit]

Sedletzky and Gunnel divorced in 1971. In January 1972, Paul Neel, a close friend who served as the director of the architecture program at Cal Poly in San Louis Obispo, extended an invitation to teach a class. The emotional toll of the divorce, coupled with financial strains, led him to accept a teaching position, which he held for 18 years. It was during this phase, in 1973, that he crossed paths with Barbara Carol, a realtor, who eventually became his second wife.^[4]

Sedletzky found himself enjoying the change of pace, sparking a desire to deepen his involvement from a lecturer to obtaining a full tenured position. This decision, however, necessitated pursuing an advanced degree. Consequently, he gained admission to UC Berkeley's Masters in Architecture program in January 1973 and successfully graduated in December of the same year.^[2]

In March 1974, he secured a position as an Associate Professor of Architecture at Cal Poly. Later that year, Sedletzky closed his architectural practice in Carmel and relocated to San Luis Obispo with his second wife, Barbara. Though he continued to work on additions and remodels for past clients.^[2]

Casa Concha[edit]

Seeking solace from the pressures of academic life, Sedletzky and his wife moved to Shell Beach, California. Together, they purchased a lot on the beach to build their dream house, Casa Concha, in a Mexican fishing village of Bahía Kino, Sonora, Mexico.

As the years went by, the allure of Bahía Kino grew stronger, and upon retiring from teaching in 1992, they made the decision to relocate permanently there.^[4][10][2]

Death[edit]

Sedletzky died in 1995.^[10]

Legacy[edit]

The Marcel Sedletzky Archive (1946-1995) is a collection at the papers achieved at the McHenry Library at University of California, Santa Cruz. The collection encompassing various facets of Sedletzky's career. It comprises his architectural projects and teaching slide collection, along with architectural renderings and plans. Additionally, the archive preserves an assortment of project photographs, offering a visual record of his work. While primarily centered around his professional endeavors, the archive also includes a selection of personal papers and project correspondence, providing insights into his thoughts and processes.^[2]

Bill Staggs wrote the book Marcel Sedletzky, Architect and Teacher, about Sedletzky and his renowned course on architectural perspective. It took him three years and conducted interviews with his second wife and three children, as well as with some of his former clients and students.^[11]

References[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marcel Sedletzky.