CASE STUDY 22

Wow! Had to shares these photos as soon I could. Studying Architecture in Los Angeles I had always heard about the Case Study Houses. The Case Study 22 house IS THE QUINTESSENTIAL Los Angeles experience. It’s on a cliff in the Hollywood Hills, overlooking the twinkling lights of the megapolis, built out of innovative materials in the booming late 50’s.

I had come across the website that mentioned there are tours on the weekends and signed up when I had a guest in town. They book up early. The twilight tour is DEFINITELY the best one as you get to see the house during dusk, twilight and then nightfall. The colors of the mountains transformed the house, and make the experience incredibly special.

The house is small but powerful. It is truly a unique piece of Los Angele architecture, an icon of its time and of modern architecture, a case study of blending with the site and embracing its views. I tried to capture its expansive panorama, the essence of being perched on such a high cliff with only steel and glass around me. The clean lines and thin materials highlighted the perfect indoor/outdoor Southern California experience. But photos can never do it justice. No matter how photogenic the form is, the Stahl House must be experienced to be full appreciated. Sitting in the glass living room brought me back to the bygone romance of Los Angeles and the Hollywood Hills. High above the sunset strip, seeing the city but being removed from the hustle and bustle, I felt the city’s pulsing energy but was at peace.

Upon nightfall, the docents briefly turned off the lights, and the result was even more magical.  We stopped photographing frantically and just observed, looking out onto the sparking city grid. The house inspired a moment of stillness, a moment of beauty, a moment of simple times and a moment to enjoy living.