The photography collected in A View from the Top may have arisen out of a desire to document a singular body of work—the Viewpoint Collection. Through Kelley’s eye, lens, and postproduction choices, however, it advances the very way that buildings can be photographed and understood, allowing us to visit residences that most of us will never see in person.

The photographs also demonstrate that these projects are quintessentially Californian. Their emphasis on open plans, airy modernism, the indoor-outdoor relationship, natural textures and colour-palette, and an intensive attention to landscaping are also quintessentially Los Angeles. The buildings—which are the creations of some of the world’s most renowned architects—are inspired and inspiring. They are luxurious, aspirational, and visually exciting. The book is both a valuable contribution to architectural history and a pleasure to read.

Mike Kelley is a Los Angeles-based photographer who specialises in architecture and happens to have a mild airplane obsession. He is the author of New Architecture Los Angeles, featuring every type of architecture, including houses, municipal structures, art museums, office buildings, performance spaces, and houses of worship. It is the first book to focus on the surge of creative building that has taken place in Los Angeles in the new millennium. He also has written LA Airspace, featuring images of Los Angeles created with a helicopter as camera platform. Taken over the course of two years, the images span the greater LA area — from Hollywood, Pasadena, Malibu, and Santa Monica to Long Beach and beyond. Serving both as historical record and artistic interpretation, the book shows the dynamic culture, infrastructure, and design of one of America’s most interesting cities.