Thursday, April 9, 2009

Posh Plans for the 1962 Playboy Townhouse



You may have already seen this, but these renderings still captivate me. I first found this article while in design school, and I have kept it ever since... dreaming that I too could accomplish renderings like this someday (if I only studied them hard enough, the talent would eventually travel though the page and into my brain by osmosis, no?).


click to enlarge these images for an even better view

This article, from the May 1962 issue of Playboy magazine, takes readers on a virtual tour through the townhome of our "modern bachelor." Imagine Him, entertaining a "guest" where a three story atrium houses a central pool, and design features include massive rock walls and wood paneling? Our Bachelor watching television on his impressive 24" television, on a round bed with built-in telephone and refrigerator? Nice, huh?





In all seriousness, I love these drawings... And these modern aspirations aren't that far off from how we dream today. In 2009, we dream of controlling the temperature, sound system, kitchen appliances, and the revolving artwork in our homes from a flat-paneled touch screen monster remote. Read part of the article for even more on the Modern Bachelor:

Designed by R. Donald Jaye
Renderings by Humen Tan

"The discerning city-dweller of individual ways and comfortable means is turning more and more to the superb outlets for decorative and architectural self-expression inherent in the town home. He is beguiled by its intrinsic advantages of privacy and spaciousness coupled with a metropolitan location just a shift of the gears away from myriad urban attractions. Recognizing this, Playboy has taken a city lot in a typical brownstone neighborhood and transformed it from street to stern into a modishly swinging manor for the modern man. The requisites we set for architect-designer R. Donald Jaye in laying out the Playboy Town House were many; the limitations (except for those imposed by the necesssarily constricting 25-foot width of the normal city lot) were few. Our urban home was to offer..."


Sorry, that was all I got from the scan. But if you know where to find the article in it's entirety (short of getting your hands on a copy of the May 1962 issue), let me know!

**UPDATE: I found the article HERE.**

1 comment:

  1. Still looks great even without the flat screen!

    ReplyDelete