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The famous Stahl house, a paragon of midcentury modern architectural design, is now available for the first time in its entire history.

This cantilevered residence, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, was listed on the listings this recent week. The asking price stands at a notable $25 million.

Family Choice to Sell

The Stahl family, who have owned the residence for its full 65-year existence, released a declaration regarding their choice to sell. They stated that the dwelling had become increasingly challenging to maintain.

"This house has been the core of our lives for many years, but as we’ve aged, it has become more difficult to look after it with the dedication and effort it so rightfully warrants," commented the offspring of the initial owners.

They further stated that the moment had come to find a new "custodian" for the house – "an individual who not only recognizes its design legacy but also grasps its place in the cultural landscape of the city and beyond."

Unassuming Beginnings

The beginnings of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the initial owners bought a hilly plot of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a well-known symbol of the city, the owners often pointed out that "no celebrities ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "working-class family living in a luxury house."

Architectural Feat

The first design for the Stahl house was created during the summer of 1956. However, many architects were originally wary to construct it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the family interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to undertake the challenge. With backing from the notable Case Study program, led by a prominent magazine editor, the family received subsidies to commission Koenig.

The progressive program "was about experimentation" and "utilizing new resources and building in places that maybe earlier the techniques didn’t really permit," remarked an expert from a local preservation society. "All those things are integrated into a place like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, progressive and unimaginable in terms of how it was erected on that site that everyone else considered, at the time, was impossible to build."

Completion and Cultural Impact

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and work began in May 1959. According to the residents, construction cost "just $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The outcome was "the ultimate vision of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer captured what is arguably the most famous image of the home. Shot through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photograph shows two women sitting in the home’s living room but seeming to float over the LA skyline.

"In my opinion the enduring impact of that photo is due to the way it communicates an concept about living in Los Angeles, an duality about being both urban and separate from it," said a head of an architectural practice and lecturer at a major university.

Cultural Designation

The home has enjoyed historic appearances in cinema, broadcast and music videos, including several well-known titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city declared the Stahl house a historic-cultural landmark, and in 2013, the house was added as a preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next Stewardship

The home remains open for tours, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all slots are currently sold out through February. In their announcement concerning the sale, the family indicated they would give "sufficient warning" before stopping the tours.

The property description for the home stresses finding a new owner who will preserve the character of the space.

"For enthusiasts of architecture, advocates of architecture, or organizations seeking to protect an iconic work, there is simply no equal," the description read. "This is more than a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a search for the next steward who will respect the house’s history, value its original vision, and secure its protection for future generations."

The authority concurred that the decision of purchaser would be a crucial one, given the home’s history.

"I think any time a original family, and a stewardship like this, is being sold of a property like this, it always creates a little bit of a concern – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their plans will be. And can they grasp and cherish the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"