The Stahl House: Case Study House ú22: The Making of a Modernist Icon (Case Study House, 22)

It seems like there are thousands of photographs on the web of the Stahl House - but this book has a lot that in my experience have never been published before. And this book tells a lot more about the Owners. A good read.

I just got my copies. I had pre-ordered mine last spring and my wife, not knowing this, secretly ordered me another during the summer.It's great to see it. I've researched the heck out of this house over the years, ever since I first noticed it in the movie Galaxy Quest, and gleaned every picture and bit of information I could find about it on the web.It cheered me up on bleak afternoons just to flip through the images (all of which were lost recently when my computer was ransomwared).But none of that was more than a speck on the wall compared with this book. Here we have a plethora of imagery and stories I have never encountered before and will likely return to again and again over the years.Disclaimer: I really love this place. I surely wouldn't want to live year round in LA, or even California, but that house could change my mind were it mine. I've looked at what it would take to build it elsewhere but it would just never be the same. That unique location is as much a part of the magic as the house itself. For example, it wouldn't work anywhere there were bugs, or anywhere the climate was too cold or too wet. And then there is the view of La La land at night. Even the view from a scenic mountain in the Shenandoah just could not substitute.I live in New York but recently had the opportunity to go to LA for a friend's wedding. It took a lot of doing (and a lot of uncertainty with COVID everywhere) but my wife and I managed to get a tour of the house in late afternoon and then were able to stay while night came on and the city lit up.Just driving up to the house was an experience. We couldn't see any place to park but one side of the carport was available and we finally, reluctantly, pulled in there. It felt like desecration of a national monument, like parking inside the ring at Stonehenge, and I halfway expected someone to emerge and display some impressive outrage. It turned out that we were supposed to park there (whew).Our tour was conducted by a family member and she was the perfect guide in every respect. I was pretty knowledgeable about the house, so far as it went, and she mentioned that I must therefore already know about this book coming out. Indeed, I was able to tell her I had already ordered a copy -- which was when my wife realized we had each ordered a copy separately. We are keeping both. If I ever find a close friend or family member who seems to appreciate the Stahl House the way I do, they might get one of the copies . . . maybe.I'd post a picture from our visit (taken by the family member, no less) but I seem to recall signing some papers that said I wouldn't do that.

I got two of these for Christmas gifts and they each love them. One was for my sister, and even though she's a very busy woman with kids and also a teacher, she totally shocked me by saying on Christmas night that she loved it so much she finished all the reading of it on Christmas Day!! She thought the writing kept your attention and was interesting, and loved the photos inside the book. She wants to come visit it when she comes out. Very impressed!!

well done book describing how this amazing house came to be. lots of photos and history. recommend!

I've been fortunate enough to visit the iconic Stahl House several times. I learn a lot each time. But wow, this book does a deep dive into the fascinating family who lived there. From the early days when Buck & Carlotta dreamed of owning the lot, to Buck hauling up construction stones in his convertible to raising their 3 kids in this house, this was a book I could not put down. I finished it up at 3:00am! There are many gorgeous photographs, including family photos I had never seen before. If you are a Mid-Century-Modern architecture buff, then this book is a MUST for you!

Buy the book for its gorgeous photos and fascinating construction story. Come to care about the man and woman who envisioned the house on its spectacular, but unbuildable location, and smile at the swimming pool and birthday cake childhoods of the three children they raised there. Learn about the Case Study House Program sponsored by Arts & Architecture Magazine and luminaries such as architect Pierre Koenig, photographer Julius Shulman, and the rivalries forged by the famous house. If you care about architecture and complex human stories, this is a must-read.

…but you had better have a magnifying glass…4pt type is too small!!

Really great and informative book. Love the fact that they saved and included actual receipts from parts of the construction so you can get an idea of the cost related to the time the house was built.

The book content is great and as expected. Unfortunately, the book arrived with the corner cover bent in. I’m assuming it was squished somehow. So I was disappointed by that as I keep my books in very good condition.

Bought as a gift, arrived on time in perfect condition, well received - thanks

A lovely book, telling the actual story of the house from the family's perspective.We all have seen the numerous pictures of the house all over the place, but this book really tells a story.

As a key dwelling of the post war Case Study housing programme it was refreshing to read a book that speaks not just of the architect and his design ethos, but centres on the lives of the clients who commissioned the house, the photographer that took the world renowned image adorning the front cover and the publisher that started the programme. A riveting read that shares with the reader the highs and lows of living in and with one of the most famous modernist houses in the world. A worthy addition to my architectural library.