1024 Armada Drive, Pasadena, CA 91103
1024 Armada Drive, Pasadena, CA 91103
1024 Armada Drive, Pasadena, CA 91103
1024 Armada Drive, Pasadena, CA 91103
1024 Armada Drive, Pasadena, CA 91103
1024 Armada Drive, Pasadena, CA 91103
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Brian McCarthy

Brian McCarthy

+1(510) 854-8066
$ 4,599,000
Est. payment | /mo

5 Beds

5 Baths

5,307 SqFt

Save
$ 4,599,000
Est. payment | /mo
Save

5 Beds

5 Baths

5,307 SqFt

Key Details

Property Type Single Family Home

Sub Type Single Family Residence

Listing Status Pending

Purchase Type For Sale

Square Footage 5,307 sqft

Price per Sqft $866

MLS Listing ID CL26896313

Bedrooms 5

Full Baths 5

HOA Y/N No

Year Built 1956

Lot Size 0.318 Acres

Acres 0.3185

Property Sub-Type Single Family Residence

Property Description

The Gell-Mann Residence: William E. Blurock Architect. Set gently into the tree-lined edge of the Arroyo Seco, this two-story mid-century modern residence was built in 1956 and designed by California modernist architect William E. Blurock, FAIA, whose career shaped landmark civic and educational buildings across the state and around the world. Believed to be one of only a few private homes he ever designed, this striking mid-century residence is quietly tucked behind mature landscaping within Pasadena's storied, National Register-listed Prospect Historic District.The five-bedroom, five-bathroom home is anchored by an aspirational reverse floor plan that lifts the main gathering spaces to the upper level, where soaring living-room ceilings, a copper-clad fireplace, and a bespoke mid-century light fixture stretching the entire length of the living room wash the interiors in a welcoming, warm light. Custom millwork and walls clad in walnut and maple lend a natural richness to the residence. Walls of glass and a second-story balcony frame sweeping views of the Rose Bowl and surrounding canyons. A dramatic open-plan stairway becomes a sculptural centerpiece for the home, animated by inset colored-glass panels and highlighted by an architectural railing wrapped in wood and cork flooring.Below, the floor plan opens around a serene zen-style garden and an expansive pool, with a private pool house/guest studio completing a resort-like retreat built for modern California living. Flagstone, stucco and a subdued facade let the house belong effortlessly among the district's Craftsman and period-revival landmarks.The home carries a remarkable provenance as the longtime residence of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Murray Gell-Mann, who lived here during his most creative years at Caltech. The scientist who named the "quark" and reorganized our understanding of the building blocks of matter found his home in a house designed, quite literally, to lift its inhabitants toward the light and the view.More than a home, this is a rare convergence of California modernism, landscape, craftsmanship and intellectual history. Square footage was measured by PlantLab LA: House only-6006, Garage-454, Studio-153. Buyers to verify all permitted and possibly unpermitted spaces. The residence is ready to write its next chapter.

Location

State CA

County Los Angeles

Zoning PSR4

Interior

Interior Features Family Room, Workshop

Heating Central

Cooling Central Air

Flooring Carpet, Wood

Fireplaces Type Living Room

Fireplace Yes

Appliance Dishwasher, Refrigerator

Laundry Dryer, Washer

Exterior

Pool In Ground

Total Parking Spaces 5

Private Pool false

Building

Story 2

Architectural Style Mid Century Modern

Level or Stories Two Story

New Construction No

Others

Tax ID 5702023014

Bridge MLS
© 2026 BEAR, CCAR, bridgeMLS. This information is deemed reliable but not verified or guaranteed. This information is being provided by the Bay East MLS or Contra Costa MLS or bridgeMLS. The listings presented here may or may not be listed by the Broker/Agent operating this website.
Listed by JB An Fung • Compass

Nearby Locations

Brian McCarthy

"My job is to find and attract mastery-based agents to the office, protect the culture, and make sure everyone is happy! "

+1(510) 854-8066

brian@bayareasbestagent.com

1820 Solano Ave, Berkeley, CA 94707, USA

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1024 Armada Drive