Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States California Los Angeles Chemosphere

Chemosphere

This ultra-modern home clings to the slope of the Hollywood Hills on a precarious stilt.

Los Angeles, California

Added By
Eric Grundhauser
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Chemosphere   evdropkick on Flickr
Chemosphere   Jeremy Sternberg on Flickr
Chemosphere   IK's World Trip on Flickr
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

To some, the Chemosphere is a well known Los Angeles landmark thanks to its appearances in film and television, but many are unaware that the UFO-shaped abode comes from much humbler beginnings.

The precariously perched saucer home was constructed when an aerospace engineer named Leonard Malin was gifted the sloped plot of land from his father-in-law. Despite his meager engineer's income, Malin was determined to build on the property. To this end, he wooed sponsors to help him build an innovative stilted design that would allow the home to jut out from the hillside, supported by a thick stilt. Technically the home was known as the Malin House, but one of these sponsors was a chemical manufacturer whose resins and polymers were used in building the home, hence its nickname, "Chemosphere."

After Malin moved from the home, it was used for parties, events, and a number of film shoots appearing in such films as Charlie's Angels and Body Double securing a place in the popular consciousness. In recent years, the home was refurbished, looking the worse for wear after years of parties, and is now owned and maintained by Benedikt Taschen, owner of the publishing house which shares his name. Despite the private ownership, the Chemosphere still manages to maintain a reputation for wild parties that are literally on the edge.     

Related Tags

Eccentric Homes Architectural Oddities Architecture Film Locations Film Homes

Community Contributors

Added By

EricGrundhauser

Edited By

Martin, dlebolt

  • Martin
  • dlebolt

Published

May 12, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemosphere
  • http://laplaces.blogspot.com/2009/06/chemosphere.html
Chemosphere
7776 Torreyson Drive
Los Angeles, California, 90046
United States
34.127555, -118.368931
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Baked Potato Jazz Club

Los Angeles, California

miles away

Campo de Cahuenga Memorial Park

Los Angeles, California

miles away

The Houdini Estate

Los Angeles, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Los Angeles

Los Angeles

California

Places 237
Stories 62

Nearby Places

The Baked Potato Jazz Club

Los Angeles, California

miles away

Campo de Cahuenga Memorial Park

Los Angeles, California

miles away

The Houdini Estate

Los Angeles, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Los Angeles

Los Angeles

California

Places 237
Stories 62

Related Stories and Lists

10 Places 12-Year-Old Me Would Love to Live

observatories

By Shannon Moore Shepherd

Related Places

  • The famous leg lamp

    Cleveland, Ohio

    A Christmas Story House and Museum

    The home made famous by the 1983 holiday classic is now a perfectly preserved shrine to the movie.

  • Sculptured House

    Golden, Colorado

    The Sculptured House

    This iconic science fiction house still looks like something from the future.

  • Ennis House from House on Haunted Hill

    Los Angeles, California

    Ennis House

    This weird abode has inspired everything from the "House on Haunted Hill" to a robot hunter's pad.

  • The Egasse-Braasch House at sunrise

    Los Angeles, California

    Egasse-Braasch House

    The house where Good Will Hunting was written is a surreal fairytale abode.

  • Carey Mansion, aka Collinwood

    Newport, Rhode Island

    Carey Mansion

    This Rhode Island mansion was a stand-in for the exteriors of Collinwood in the original "Dark Shadows" series.

  • Lockwood-Mathews Mansion, which was used as the Stepford Men’s Association

    Norwalk, Connecticut

    Stepford Wives Locations

    Mansion and shopping center used in the 1975 film "The Stepford Wives."

  • House from the 1971 movie “Let’s Scare Jessica to Death”

    Old Saybrook, Connecticut

    Old Bishop House

    House used in the 1971 horror film "Let's Scare Jessica to Death."

  • Gryphon sculpture by Paul Manship

    Ipswich, Massachusetts

    Crane Mansion on Castle Hill

    Palatial mansion estate used in films including "Flowers in the Attic" and "The Witches of Eastwick."

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.