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The celebrated Stahl house, a epitome of mid-century modern design, is now available for the first time in its complete history.

This overhanging residence, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, appeared on the listings this recent week. The price tag stands at a substantial $25 million.

Owners Choice to Part With

The Stahl family, who have owned the residence for its entire 65-year existence, released a declaration regarding their choice to sell. They stated that the property had grown excessively demanding to care for.

"This home has been the core of our lives for many years, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become progressively harder to maintain it with the care and effort it so rightfully warrants," wrote the descendants of the initial owners.

They further stated that the period had emerged to find a new "custodian" for the house – "someone who not only recognizes its architectural significance but also grasps its position in the cultural fabric of the city and beyond."

Modest Origins

The origins of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the first owners purchased a hilly plot of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a well-known representation of the city, the family often stressed that "no famous individuals ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "average family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Architectural Feat

The initial design for the Stahl house was developed during the warm season of 1956. However, many designers were initially hesitant to construct it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the owners consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to take on the project. With support from the influential Case Study program, spearheaded by a prominent magazine editor, the family received subsidies to engage Koenig.

The contemporary program "centered around innovation" and "utilizing new resources and constructing in sites that maybe earlier the techniques didn’t really allow," remarked an authority from a city conservancy. "All these elements are wrapped up into a property like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, modern and inconceivable in terms of how it was constructed on that plot that everyone else believed, at the time, was not feasible."

Completion and Iconic Impact

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and building began in May 1959. According to the family, construction amounted to "a mere $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The final product was "an idealized version of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the expert commented.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer took what is possibly the most well-known picture of the home. Taken through the enormous glass windows, the photo features two women seated in the home’s living room but looking to float over the city skyline.

"I think the long-standing influence of the image is due to the way it conveys an concept about dwelling in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both metropolitan and separate from it," said a head of an architectural practice and adjunct professor at a major university.

Protected Status

The home has made memorable features in film, broadcast and videos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city designated the Stahl house a historic-cultural landmark, and in 2013, the house was included as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Custodianship

The home continues to be open for tours, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all tours are currently reserved through February. In their announcement concerning the sale, the family stated they would give "ample notice" before discontinuing the tours.

The listing for the home emphasizes finding a buyer who will conserve the spirit of the space.

"For enthusiasts of style, patrons of building, or entities seeking to protect an iconic work, there is simply nothing comparable," the listing read. "This goes beyond a sale; it is a transfer of stewardship – a quest for the next custodian who will honor the house’s legacy, appreciate its architectural purity, and ensure its preservation for future generations."

The expert affirmed that the decision of purchaser would be a critical one, given the home’s history.

"I think any time a long-term steward, and a guardianship like this, is being sold of a home like this, it always causes a little bit of a hesitation – because you never know what the next owner, what their plans will be. And do they comprehend and value the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"