Living and working in Los Angeles presents many great adventures and opportunities, but for this blog post, I’ll be talking about what may possibly be my favorite: fulfilling a childhood dream with a visit to the Stahl House.
As mentioned in an earlier blog post, one of the early images that really sparked my interest in architecture was Julius Shulman’s classic shot of the Stahl House. The excitement and intrigue that this photo evoked within me as a child still rings true as an adult and so it was with great joy that I headed off into the Hollywood Hills to take up my place on a private tour of the property.
Designed by the architect Pierre Koenig and built in 1959, the Stahl House is an iconic representation of 20th Century LA modernism. Adopted into Arts & Architecture Magazines’ Case Study Program as ‘CSH No.22’, the house was remarkably ahead of its time, combining a cantilevering structure with huge spans of glass that at the time were the largest pieces commercially available. The vision was for a mostly glass house, without walls blocking the panoramic views of LA and the result certainly does not disappoint.
Visits to the house can be arranged via the website with tours taking place three times a day on Wednesdays, Saturdays and every other Friday. During the tour, you will receive lots of interesting information, including the humble and honest origins of the house, the vision, and concept of both client and architect and the challenges the house presented, both architecturally and structurally.
So just sit back, enjoy and admire that breathtaking view.
