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The famous Stahl house, a quintessential example of modernist architecture, is now available for the first time in its entire history.

This overhanging dwelling, nestled in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, was listed on the listings this recent week. The listing price stands at an impressive $25 million.

Stewards Move to Sell

The Stahl family, who have held title to the home for its complete 65-year history, released a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They expressed that the house had proven too difficult to care for.

"This home has been the core of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve aged, it has become progressively harder to look after it with the dedication and vigor it so richly deserves," wrote the children of the first owners.

They added that the moment had arrived to find a new "custodian" for the house – "someone who not only values its architectural importance but also comprehends its place in the cultural fabric of Los Angeles and elsewhere."

Humble Inception

The beginnings of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the first owners purchased a mountainous patch of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a renowned symbol of the city, the family often emphasized that "nobody famous ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Construction Feat

The original design for the Stahl house was conceived during the summer months of 1956. However, many architects were originally hesitant to build it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to accept the task. With support from the notable Case Study program, pioneered by a key magazine editor, the Stahls received financial aid to engage Koenig.

The contemporary program "was about innovation" and "employing new building materials and erecting in places that maybe earlier the technology didn’t really enable," remarked an specialist from a local preservation society. "All these elements are combined into a site like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and inconceivable in terms of how it was erected on that site that everyone else believed, at the time, was unbuildable."

Completion and Famous Influence

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and construction began in May 1959. According to the family, construction amounted to "just $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The result was "an idealized version of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after the build ended, a famous architectural photographer took what is perhaps the most famous photograph of the home. Captured through the enormous glass windows, the photograph depicts two women seated in the home’s living room but appearing to hover over the LA skyline.

"I think the long-standing effect of this photo is due to the way it communicates an concept about dwelling in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both urban and separate from it," commented a founder of an architectural company and lecturer at a major university.

Protected Recognition

The home has enjoyed historic features in movies, TV and music videos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Next Stewardship

The home continues to be open for visits, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all appointments are currently reserved through February. In their announcement announcing the sale, the family said they would give "sufficient warning" before ending the tours.

The listing for the home highlights finding a buyer who will conserve the essence of the space.

"For enthusiasts of design, patrons of building, or organizations seeking to preserve an American masterpiece, there is simply no parallel," the description say. "This goes beyond a sale; it is a transfer of stewardship – a search for the next custodian who will respect the house’s history, appreciate its architectural purity, and guarantee its conservation for future generations."

The specialist concurred that the choice of purchaser would be a crucial one, given the home’s legacy.

"I think any time a long-term steward, and a stewardship like this, is changing ownership of a residence like this, it always creates a little bit of a concern – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And do they comprehend and appreciate the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"