The house hiding in a hotel parking lot

If you aren't looking closely, you might miss the Peter J. Weber House. It is currently marooned in a hotel parking lot, a bizarre architectural island surrounded by asphalt and a swimming pool. It survived a 1980s demolition order because it was deemed too culturally significant to move, so the developers just built the rest of the hotel around it.

Architect Peter J. Weber built this place between 1933 and 1938 as a family residence. His design was inspired by his year-long honeymoon travels in Europe and North Africa from 1931 to 1932, where he fused Moorish influences with Medieval Spanish brick and half-timbering. It is a beautiful mix of reclaimed materials, hand-carved details, and colorful decorated ceilings.

The house features seismic fittings in the basement, reflecting Weber's history of working with architects including Julia Morgan as a teenager following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. It also contains a 1935 roof-mounted solar water heater enclosed by repurposed Model T windshields.

In 1941, the family even moved their sleeping quarters to the rooftop deck to make room for the mother-in-law. Today, the house stands as Riverside City Landmark #52. You can still tour the interior to see the original details and the strange, beautiful contradiction of a landmark hiding in plain sight.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons