Gilbert Leong’s Kung Residence in Elysian Heights asks $900K

Gilbert Leong designed many of Chinatown’s public and commercial structures and several private residences, including the Kung Residence, a retro mid-century in the Elysian Heights neighborhood of Echo Park.

Completed in 1951, the residence is located at 1915 Walcott Way, a secluded street with spectacular views of the Griffith Park Observatory and the San Gabriel Mountains.

Spanning two stories, the modest interior measures 1,115 square feet. The two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bathroom home features an open living and dining area with a floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace. Wood paneling lines the interior walls; natural, ambient light filters through large sliding glass doors and clerestory windows.

A deck, accessed via the living room and kitchen, is a feature often seen in Leong’s residential work.

Retaining original elements such as tiled countertops and a vintage stove, the painted mint green walls and muted yellow cabinets compliment the kitchen’s retro décor.

Original built-in closets almost run the length of one wall in the primary suite.

A pioneering architect, Leong became the first Chinese American to graduate from USC’s architecture program. He was also “co-owner of Chinatown’s Soochow Restaurant, longtime member of East West Bank’s board of directors, and member of several other organizations. He was featured in Lisa See’s book, On Gold Mountain: The 100-Year Odyssey of a Chinese American Family, a CBS documentary about Chinese-Americans, and the exhibition Breaking Ground: Chinese American Architects in Los Angeles (1945-1980),” reports Eric Brightwell.

Kung Residence by Mid Century Architect Gilbert Leong
Listing courtesy of Paul Przybyla – Compass
The kitchen and wooden cabinet
The bedroom of the Kung Residence by Mid Century Architect Gilbert Leong
The bedroom, wooden wardrobe, and shelf
The balcony and great outside view
Kung Residence by Mid Century Architect Gilbert Leong
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