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The celebrated Stahl house, a paragon of mid-century modern architecture, is now available for the first time in its entire history.

This overhanging dwelling, perched in the Hollywood Hills area, appeared on the market this past week. The listing price stands at a notable $25 million.

Owners Decision to Sell

The Stahl family, who have held title to the residence for its entire 65-year history, shared a statement regarding their choice to sell. They noted that the house had grown increasingly challenging to upkeep.

"This home has been the heart of our lives for many years, but as we’ve grown older, it has become increasingly challenging to care for it with the attention and effort it so rightfully warrants," stated the children of the initial owners.

They continued that the moment had emerged to find a new "guardian" for the house – "an individual who not only recognizes its architectural importance but also understands its role in the cultural fabric of Los Angeles and further afield."

Modest Origins

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

Despite the Stahl house growing into a well-known symbol of the city, the owners often pointed out that "nobody famous ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "average family living in a luxury house."

Construction Feat

The initial design for the Stahl house was created during the warm season of 1956. However, many architects were originally hesitant to build it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to undertake the project. With support from the prominent Case Study program, spearheaded by a prominent magazine editor, the family received subsidies to hire Koenig.

The progressive program "was about trial and error" and "utilizing new resources and building in locations that maybe earlier the techniques didn’t really allow," stated an authority from a city heritage organization. "Each of these factors are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, progressive and inconceivable in terms of how it was constructed on that site that everyone else believed, at the time, was unbuildable."

Realization and Cultural Influence

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

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer shot what is perhaps the most iconic image of the home. Taken through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photo shows two women positioned in the home’s living room but appearing to levitate over the LA skyline.

"In my opinion the enduring influence of this image is due to the way it communicates an idea about living in Los Angeles, an duality about being both urban and separate from it," commented a founder of an architectural firm and lecturer at a leading university.

Protected Status

The home has enjoyed historic cameos in cinema, broadcast and promos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Coming Stewardship

The home is still open for public viewings, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all tours are currently sold out through February. In their statement regarding the sale, the family indicated they would give "ample notice" before discontinuing the tours.

The listing for the home stresses finding a purchaser who will maintain the character of the space.

"For connoisseurs of design, patrons of architecture, or institutions seeking to preserve an iconic work, there is simply no equal," the listing state. "This is not merely a sale; it is a passing of responsibility – a quest for the next custodian who will celebrate the house’s past, value its design integrity, and ensure its protection for future generations."

The authority agreed that the choice of new owner would be a crucial one, given the home’s legacy.

"I believe any time a long-term steward, and a stewardship like this, is changing ownership of a property like this, it always creates a little bit of a concern – because you never know what the next owner, what their plans will be. And will they comprehend and appreciate the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"