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The famous Stahl house, a quintessential example of midcentury modern architectural design, is currently listed for the very first time in its whole history.

This overhanging home, situated in the Hollywood Hills area, hit the real estate market this week. The listing price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Stewards Choice to Part With

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the property for its entire 65-year timeline, shared a declaration regarding their choice to sell. They expressed that the property had proven excessively demanding to care for.

"This residence has been the center of our lives for many years, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become progressively harder to look after it with the dedication and effort it so richly deserves," stated the descendants of the first owners.

They further stated that the time had come to find a new "guardian" for the house – "a person who not only values its architectural importance but also comprehends its role in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and further afield."

Humble Inception

The beginnings of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the first owners bought a mountainous parcel of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a well-known icon of the city, the residents often stressed that "no celebrities ever lived here," describing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a white-collar house."

Construction Challenge

The initial design for the Stahl house was created during the warm season of 1956. However, many architects were at first wary to erect it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the family met with architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to take on the project. With support from the influential Case Study program, led by a leading magazine editor, the owners received subsidies to hire Koenig.

The progressive program "was about innovation" and "utilizing new building materials and constructing in places that maybe before the technology didn’t really permit," remarked an authority from a city heritage organization. "All those things are combined into a place like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and inconceivable in terms of how it was erected on that site that everyone else considered, at the time, was not feasible."

Realization and Cultural Impact

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and work began in May 1959. According to the owners, construction amounted to "just $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The final product was "a perfect representation of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the expert commented.

Soon after completion, a famous architectural photographer captured what is arguably the most well-known image of the home. Captured through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photograph shows two women seated in the home’s living room but looking to levitate over the LA skyline.

"In my opinion the enduring effect of this photo is due to the way it conveys an concept about dwelling in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both metropolitan and detached from it," said a principal of an architectural practice and educator at a prominent university.

Historic Designation

The home has had historic cameos in movies, television and promos, including several well-known titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city recognized the Stahl house a protected monument, and in 2013, the house was included as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next Ownership

The home continues to be open for tours, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all appointments are currently sold out through February. In their statement announcing the sale, the family said they would give "ample notice" before discontinuing the tours.

The property description for the home highlights finding a purchaser who will maintain the essence of the space.

"For collectors of design, supporters of building, or institutions seeking to preserve an national treasure, there is simply nothing comparable," the listing state. "This goes beyond a purchase; it is a handover of custody – a search for the next custodian who will honor the house’s past, respect its original vision, and secure its protection for posterity."

The expert agreed that the choice of buyer would be a crucial one, given the home’s legacy.

"I think any time a longtime owner, and a custodianship like this, is changing ownership of a property like this, it always gives us a little bit of a concern – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And will they understand and value the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"