The Stahl House also known as Case Study House #22, one of the most iconic homes in modern architecture. Built in 1960, the home was designed by Pierre Koenig, the house sits dramatically in the Hollywood Hills, gazing out over the Los Angeles basin.
The home is a 2,200-square-foot steel-and-glass structure that extends 10 feet outward over a steep hillside. It is an ideal example of mid-century modern design with its floor-to-ceiling glass walls, L-shaped plan and terrace overlooking the city lights.
Today, the home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is widely regarded as one of the most influential examples of modernist residential architecture in America.
Julius Shulman Stahl House Famous Photo
Few buildings are made into world-famous sites thanks to a single photograph, but that’s exactly what transpired.
The architect Julius Shulman photographed the house at twilight in 1960. Two women are seen inside the glass living room, while the infinite lights of Los Angeles extend below. Soon, the photograph was one of the most reproduced architectural images ever captured.
That single image redefined the way people envisioned modern living. Instead of filled-in walls and inside rooms, architecture could be transparent and open, with the landscape seen through space.
Yet the significance of this house goes much deeper than photography. It is a definitional moment in postwar American architecture and culture. The home lies at the crossroads of various forces that defined the contemporary era. The house reflects experimentation with steel and glass, visual culture of photography, glamorous mythology of Los Angeles, and evolution of modern residential design.
It remains, more than six decades later, an icon of the optimism and innovation of postwar America. It is more than a residence, it’s a cultural artifact.
Architecture and Design — Why It Is Special
It is widely considered a minimalist engineering and visual-drama masterpiece. All aspects of the design work in concert to highlight openness, light and the landscape.
Structural Features
The house utilizes a steel frame structure laid out with a clean L-shaped floor plan.
One wing has the living and dining areas, and the other has the bedrooms. The two wings encircle a terrace and swimming pool that overlook the city skyline.
Key architectural features include:
- Steel frames that allows wide open concept interiors
- A bold cantilever, 10 feet long, projecting over the hillside
- A flat roof inspired by the local architecture with deep overhangs
- Floor-to-ceiling glass walls on three sides
- Large plate-glass panels, the largest then available commercially
- Underfloor heating systems with concrete floors
- An outdoor swimming pool added during construction
- These components bring a lightweight, structurally accurate articulation to the design.
Design Philosophy
A 270-degree panorama of Los Angeles was one of Buck Stahl’s main requirements.
Koenig responded by downplaying solid walls and favoring uninterrupted glass surfaces. The outcome is a home in which the landscape informs the interior experience.
From the living room, the city seems like a giant mural extending to the horizon.
Construction Details
Construction started in May 1959 and was completed a year later, in May 1960.
The final bill for construction was $37,500, the equivalent of about $400,000 today.
Because the walls consist almost entirely of glass, the interior has an unusual optical quality. At night, the lit-up city effectively becomes the house’s backdrop, making the skyline what designers like to call the home’s “living wallpaper.”
Final Thoughts
It remains the best example of mid-century modern architecture ever built, also demonstrating the power of transparency in architecture. More than just a house, it became an image that shaped the public imagination of modern living.
FAQs
The couple C.H. “Buck” Stahl and his wife Carlotta Stahl, commissioned the iconic “Stahl House” (Case Study House No. 22).
Pierre Koenig was a renowned American mid-century modernist architect. Koenig was part of the influential Case Study House Program, and he designed both Case Study House #21 and Case Study House #22.
The property was listed for $25,000,000, the first time in 65 years it has ever been offered for sale.
Yes. Docent-led tours are available by reservation at stahlhouse.com.
It became famous for dramatic steel-and-glass design cantilevered over the Hollywood Hills and a photograph captured by Julius Shulman’s in 1960.
At 1635 Woods Drive in the Hollywood Hills section of Los Angeles, California.
More to Explore:
Navdeep is a PHP programmer by profession, & rider by passion with a strong interest in writing, reflection, and travel. His writing draws from daily experiences across online and real-world settings, often influenced by an interest in interior design and how spaces affect mood and function.
