LA's iconic Stahl House is for sale
Los Angeles's iconic Stahl House, also known as Case Study House #22, is up for sale for the first time ever. The 1960 home, designed by Pierre Koenig, is a landmark of modernist architecture and a significant piece of the city's urban design history. The sale marks a major event for the preservation and ownership of architectural landmarks.
- The project was part of the Case Study House program, initiated by *Arts & Architecture* magazine in 1945 to design and build inexpensive and efficient model homes to address the post-WWII housing shortage. The Stahl House, #22 in the series, became one of the most famous examples of the program's modernist principles. - The original clients, C.H. "Buck" and Carlotta Stahl, purchased the challenging hillside lot in 1954 for $13,500, envisioning a glass house that would embrace the panoramic city views. After other architects were deterred by the difficult site, the Stahls hired Pierre Koenig in 1957 to realize their vision. - Construction, completed in 1960, cost approximately $37,500. Koenig’s design featured a cantilevered L-shaped structure with a steel frame and vast expanses of glass, which were some of the largest commercially available panes at the time. The steel frame was reportedly erected by a five-person crew in a single day. - The home's international fame was cemented by a 1960 photograph taken by Julius Shulman. The iconic image, featuring two women in the glass-enclosed living room seemingly floating above the city grid at twilight, came to symbolize mid-century modernism and the Los Angeles lifestyle. - The modest 2,200-square-foot, two-bedroom home has remained virtually unchanged and in the family's ownership since its completion. The family began offering public tours due to the home's immense popularity and its frequent use as a location for films, commercials, and photo shoots. - The Stahl House is designated as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (LAHCM No. 670) and is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, which comes with strict preservation requirements for any future owner.
