Most Iconic House in L.A.? - Page 2

Jackson refers in part to Koenig's use of steel rather than wood framing for the challenging site, an option that never reached the wider popularity some predicted in the mid-century.

"The Stahl House is all about the site and the view. This is more about the house," said Silver. "It's a much more livable design."

The house was built in 1958 for psychologist Walter Bailey and his wife, but they moved and sold it in 1969. It is framed by four prefabricated steel bents, 44 inches wide and nine feet high, and boasts a series of exterior ponds designed to circulate to the roof and return as fountains.

The ensuing years were not kind to the Bailey House from an architectural purist's perspective, but seven years before his death in 2004, Koenig was commissioned by a new owner to restore it. The result was award-winning and led to the house being declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1999. The current owner, a South Korean art gallery owner, purchased it at auction for $3.186 million in 2007.

"It's in really excellent condition, exactly what you would expect to find," said Silver, though he declined to vouch for the pond-fountain system as being perfectly operable, stating merely that the ponds are full and "all the pieces are there."

No open houses are planned, but the house is available for viewing by appointment. Silver said interest is high: "I get inquiries every day, from the fashion world, Arts & Architecture [fans], from New York."

"It's not a big house by any stretch of the imagination," the realtor conceded, defending the asking price based on its beauty and place in Los Angeles history.

"It's the most iconic mid-century house in Los Angeles, or one of them," said Silver. "The house is a work of art that you can live in."

For more information on the Bailey House listing, click here.