The Stahl House, also known as Case Study House No. 22, is one of the most photographed and mythic homes in Los Angeles. Completed in 1960 and designed by architect Pierre Koenig, the house floats above the city on a glass platform with views that stretch from downtown to the ocean. Suspended in steel and light, the house captured the optimism, ambition, and cinematic imagination of postwar Los Angeles. It is the home that made modernism feel like a lifestyle rather than a theory, and it remains a symbol of Los Angeles even for people who do not know its name.
Quick Facts
Address: 1635 Woods Drive, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California
Completed: 1960
Architect: Pierre Koenig (in collaboration with structural engineer William Porch)
Case Study Program: Officially designated Case Study House No. 22 in the Arts & Architecture magazine program
Style: Mid-century modern with steel frame construction, floor to ceiling glass, and cantilevered platforms
Size: About 2,200 square feet with two bedrooms and sweeping open plan living areas
Original Owners: Buck and Carlotta Stahl, who commissioned the home and lived there for decades
Landmark Status: Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Famous Appearances: Columbo, Lethal Weapon 2, Galaxy Quest, Playing by Heart, Why Do Fools Fall in Love, numerous fashion campaigns and commercials
Origins: an ordinary family commissions an extraordinary idea
One of the most compelling parts of the Stahl House story is that it was not commissioned by Hollywood wealth or corporate power. Buck and Carlotta Stahl were a young married couple with limited means when they bought the steep lot in the Hollywood Hills in the mid 1950s. The land was so vertical and so unlikely to hold a house that the real estate agent warned them it might never be buildable. Buck, however, sketched his own vision for the site: a glass and steel rectangle hovering above the city.
After interviewing several architects who told him the lot was impossible, he found Pierre Koenig, a young and fearless modernist who believed steel and engineering could solve nearly anything. Koenig took Buck’s concept and developed it into a fully structural idea. The resulting house would be placed on steel columns, with the main living space cantilevered over the cliff. It was a direct challenge to gravity, tradition, and the safe suburban architecture of mid century America.
Architecture: a house built of steel, sky, and light
Koenig’s design uses a lightweight steel frame, industrial glazing, concrete floors, and minimal interior partitions. More than half of the exterior walls are glass, turning the city itself into part of the architecture. The living room appears to float above Los Angeles with no visible support at the corners. The effect is so strong that even today it feels almost unreal, like a film set waiting for a director to call action.
The house was part of the Case Study House Program, a series of experimental homes sponsored by Arts & Architecture magazine. The program encouraged architects to test new materials, ideas, and technologies for postwar living. Case Study House No. 22 quickly became the most famous of them all. The combination of an audacious site, a perfectly executed steel system, and an uninterrupted view of the city created a work of art that is both fragile and bold.
Julius Shulman and the photograph that defined Los Angeles
In 1960, architectural photographer Julius Shulman arrived to shoot the house at night. Working with a small team, he created the now legendary image: two women seated casually in the illuminated living room, the city lights glowing like stars beneath them. The photograph became one of the most iconic architectural images of the twentieth century. It did more than document the house. It defined the dream of Los Angeles as a place where the boundaries between indoor and outdoor life dissolve, and where architecture participates in the drama of the landscape.
The photo appeared around the world, elevating the Stahl House from an experimental project to a cultural symbol. It became shorthand for modernism, California optimism, and the idea that a house can be a viewpoint on the entire metropolis.
The Stahls: a family living inside a legend
Buck and Carlotta Stahl raised their children in the house throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Despite its fame, it remained a real family home with toys on the floor, meals cooked in the small modern kitchen, and children playing on the concrete terrace. The Stahls protected the house fiercely, maintaining it in its original form even as the neighborhood changed around them.
After Buck’s death, the Stahl children continued the stewardship. Their commitment is the reason the house survives today with such authenticity. It is one of the few Case Study Houses still owned and protected by the original commissioning family.
Film, television, and the cultural life of the house
The house is a natural fit for cameras. Its long horizontal lines and floating corners allow cinematographers to create dramatic compositions with almost no effort. It has appeared in dozens of films and series, often used to signify intelligence, mystery, wealth, progressive thinking, or emotional detachment. Directors appreciate how the house changes with time of day. At sunrise it feels gentle and meditative. At night it becomes a glowing lantern suspended over the city.
Fashion houses, luxury brands, and music videos frequently use the property as well. The house has become part of global visual culture. Even people who have never heard the name Stahl House recognize the silhouette instantly.
Context: what Los Angeles was becoming
- 1950s: Los Angeles grows rapidly as freeways and hillside developments expand. Modern architecture becomes the language of ambition.
- 1960: The Stahl House is completed as aerospace, Hollywood, and design culture collide to shape a new identity for the city.
- 1970s to 1990s: Postwar modernism falls out of favor but the house becomes a beloved secret of film crews and photographers.
- 2000s to today: Renewed appreciation for mid century design transforms the Stahl House into a pilgrimage site for architects, students, and travelers from around the world.
Why the Stahl House matters
- Architectural clarity: A pure expression of steel frame modernism built with precision and restraint.
- Cultural reach: One of the most widely recognized houses on the planet, thanks to Julius Shulman and decades of film work.
- Preservation success: Maintained by the original family with extraordinary care.
- Los Angeles identity: A house that shows how architecture can amplify a landscape and help define a city’s sense of itself.
What it feels like inside today
The edges of the house seem to disappear. The sky feels close. Los Angeles stretches out below in a quiet glow. Even on a warm day there is usually a breeze moving through the rooms. The simplicity of the materials keeps your attention on the light, the air, and the view. Standing in the living room, you understand why this house changed the way the world imagines modern life in California.
All home images here are artistic illustrations used for education and historical commentary.
