Photos: ROSALIE HUNTINGTON
Almost every room in the Beagles house has a view of Santa Monica Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Owner Alice Beagles at her dining room table after a meeting in 2017.
The Beagles residence was built in 1963 by noted American Architect Pierre Koenig. It has remained in the family for 59 years. With the death of Alice Beagles in early 2022, the house at 17446 Revello Drive, a concrete, glass and steel structure, has now come on the market.
This editor was invited to Alice’s home several years ago, because she singlehandedly tried to ensure the two developments Sea View Villas (apartments) developed by GH Palmer, and One Coast Condos developed by etcoHomes were following Coastal Commission requirements, and thought there might be a story.
From the entryway on street level, the home almost looked like it was a mobile home on the street.
But once Beagles opened the door and invited guests inside, it was pure awe. It was as if one were perched in an eagle’s aerie. Walking close to what seemed to be a wall of large windows, all with spectacular views of the bay, it was as if your stomach “dropped” because the home was indeed built into the cliff and – there was nothing below.
In the book “Pierre Koenig Living with Steel” by Neil Jackson, he wrote “From the street it was almost unnoticeable, a low, glazed elevation which suggested a pavilion but at the rear, where the ground fell steeply away, the house developed into two broad, balconied floors suspended high above the escarpment. Here the view swept across the Palisades and down to the Pacific. . . .Whereas Koenig had used a sloping site before, at the Beagles House he now encouraged [the building] to step out over the void.”
He placed the kitchen, dining room, playroom and two bedrooms at street level, with the living room and master bedroom and guest room on the level below. Only the small playroom was at the street, but all other rooms had a spectacular view.
Koenig was Professor of Architecture at the University of Southern California and taught from 1964 to 2004. Koenig built only 43 buildings in his career, but became highly influential through publicity generated by the post-war Case Study House building program.
He is considered one of the masters of steel frame residential construction in Southern California and is recognized mainly for his projects of Case Study Houses number 21 and 22 in 1960. Both houses number 21 (The Bailey House) and 22 (The Stahl House) were built in spectacular area. The later was built on a cliff and not considered a buildable site.
This 2,467-square-foot four-bedroom, three-bath house is listed in Historic Places LA and was built for Robert and Alice Beagles and their two young daughters. The structural engineer for the home, located on .11, acres was William Porush and the house was built by Bruce Koch.
Alice Beagles was president of the Pacific Palisades Historical Society from 2005-2007, and was a member of the Woman’s Club. She also served on the Castellammare Mesa Homeowners architectural committee in 2008-2009.
She was predeceased by her husband and a daughter.
Today’s asking price for this unique home is $4.5 million.
I adored Alice Beagles and knew her for years-she was a wonderful and supportive library patron. Some of the Palisades Library staff remember her fondly, too She met with me several times to ask if the Historical Society could put a display case in the branch (and they did sometime after 2010). It is wonderful seeing photos and learning about the history of her home. We miss her!-Mary Hopf, Sr. Librarian, Palisades Branch Library
Alice was so generous sharing her lovely and spectacular home with her many friends.
I was so lucky to play bridge with her but not well as my concentration on the
game was disrupted by the beautiful views.
We will certainly miss Alice.