Stephen Kanner, 54, ‘An Architect

Stephen Kanner, a longtime Pacific Palisades resident and award-winning architect, passed away on July 2 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 54. Renowned for both commercial work in the United States and abroad and a series of elegant private homes, Kanner also stood out for his interest in and attention to smaller projects, often with restricted budgets. Born in 1955 in Los Angeles, Kanner grew up in Mandeville Canyon in a talented family. He was the third-generation to lead his family firm, Kanner Architects, started by his grandfather Herman. His father Charles took over the firm in 1974, and Stephen became director in 1998, after his father’s death (also from pancreatic cancer). His mother, Judith, is an interior designer with whom he often collaborated, and his sister, Catherine, is an award-winning illustrator and designer. ‘Stephen’s vision to make things beautiful came early in life,’ recalled his brother-in-law Winston Chappell, who was his art teacher at Oakwood School in 1971 before becoming an architect himself. ‘He was the best student I had. I was teaching an art class, where we studied classic structures and tested the integrity of materials, and pushing them beyond their tolerances until they collapsed. His project had a degree of skill, clarity of conception and accuracy of execution that was in a league by itself. He tested his beautiful thing until it was crushed, but then instead of throwing it in the trash, he rebuilt his structure. He liked to manifest the vision and maintain it.’ Kanner graduated from Oakwood and studied architecture at UC Berkeley, earning a combined B.A/M.A. degree in 1980. However, he found his creative energy more in independent studies rather than the departmental philosophy of that era. ‘At that time, social issues were over-emphasized’how do you feel about these things, then learning about form,’ he told the Palisadian-Post in 2001. After graduation, Kanner joined Urban Forms in Santa Monica, where he worked on multi-unit residential housing. He then headed East for a year and associated with the Cambridge 7 firm in Boston, where he worked on the design for the Baltimore Aquarium and the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. He came back to California in 1982 and joined his father in the family firm a year later.   Kanner and his wife, Cynthia, lived in Venice until the couple moved to the Palisades in 1994. He was a committed Palisadian, whose major contribution to the community was the new gym at the Recreation Center, which he designed with his father pro bono in 1998.   As Kanner oversaw the growth of his firm, he took on more responsibilities. However, not only did he continue to be involved in all the design ideas, he also was an involved teacher and mentor to young architects who joined the firm. He sketched quickly and made all the preliminary drawings for everything the firm produced.   ’He would come up with a design, but they would execute it,’ said Chappell, who has collaborated with Stephen on many projects. ‘Even though he was the principal figure, many people could work with the aesthetic.’   Kanner’s aesthetic moved from playful L.A. Modernism as observed in his iconic design for the In-N-Out Burger in Westwood and his own home on Almar, to a more toned-down palette, focusing on buildings that were well-built, practical, full of natural light and air. Kanner’s home, completed in 2001, is a star in his portfolio and a fine example of the design inspired by the imagery he saw growing up’the Googie-style drive-ins and his dad’s Pop art imagery. A man of great talent and energy, Kanner viewed architecture beyond his own projects, respecting and nourishing the Los Angeles architectural community. Perhaps the A+D Museum is Kanner’s lasting legacy to the city he loved. A showcase of architecture and design that he co-founded 10 years ago, the museum moved from one location to another until finally finding a permanent home on Wilshire Boulevard across from LACMA this year. Surrounded by family and supporters of the museum, Kanner presided at the grand opening in April (‘New Museum Melds Architecture/Design,’ Palisadian-Post, June 10).   Called ‘an architect’s architect’ by Frank Gehry, Kanner was convinced that architecture could improve people’s lives.   ’He believed in making the design and making it buildable,’ Chappell said. ‘He was passionate and optimistic that way, no matter what the reality of the budget or building code. He would invent an interesting solution that was particularly evident in the affordable housing project on 26th Street for the city of Santa Monica. He would say ‘Light and space are essentially free, and with simple and sustainable materials, good design is possible.”   Chappell added, ‘Stephen was brilliant in his use of color and simple textural moves. If he had nine square panels and changed one color, this small, smart move would impact the whole design.’   Kanner continued to sketch, respond to e-mails and participate in conference calls up until two weeks before he died. ‘He was optimistic that he could prevail,’ Chappell said.   Kanner’s influence will continue in the several houses under construction and 10 to 15 commercial projects in the works. The firm can complete these projects and will continue promoting Kanner’s emphasis on materials, textures and color as the key to making a home livable, bright, open and exhilarating.   He is survived by his wife of 18 years, Cynthia; his daughters Caroline, 15, and Charlotte, 9; his mother Judith; and his sister Catherine and her family, Winston, AnnaKate and Rebecca.   In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Kanner’s name to the A+D Museum (aplusd.org), where a memorial service and retrospective exhibition will be held on Thursday, September 30.