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The renowned Stahl house, a quintessential example of midcentury modern architectural design, is now available for the very first time in its complete history.

This overhanging residence, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, hit the market this past week. The asking price stands at an impressive $25 million.

Stewards Decision to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have held title to the residence for its complete 65-year timeline, issued a announcement regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the house had become excessively demanding to maintain.

"This house has been the center of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve grown older, it has become progressively harder to maintain it with the attention and energy it so truly merits," stated the offspring of the first owners.

They further stated that the moment had arrived to find a new "custodian" for the house – "someone who not only recognizes its architectural significance but also understands its place in the cultural fabric of Los Angeles and beyond."

Modest Origins

The beginnings of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the initial owners acquired a hilly patch of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a renowned representation of the city, the family often stressed that "no famous individuals ever lived here," describing themselves as a "average family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Construction Undertaking

The initial design for the Stahl house was created during the summer of 1956. However, many architects were at first reluctant to build it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to undertake the project. With assistance from the influential Case Study program, spearheaded by a key magazine editor, the owners received financial aid to engage Koenig.

The modernist program "was about experimentation" and "using new resources and erecting in locations that maybe previously the technology didn’t really permit," commented an authority from a local preservation society. "All those things are wrapped up into a site like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, contemporary and unthinkable in terms of how it was constructed on that plot that everyone else believed, at the time, was not feasible."

Completion and Famous Legacy

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and building started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction amounted to "only $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The outcome was "the ultimate vision of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the expert commented.

Soon after the build ended, a renowned architectural photographer took what is possibly the most well-known image of the home. Taken through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photo features two women sitting in the home’s living room but appearing to levitate over the LA skyline.

"I believe the enduring influence of this photo is due to the way it conveys an concept about living in Los Angeles, an duality about being both urban and separate from it," stated a founder of an architectural firm and adjunct professor at a prominent university.

Protected Designation

The home has enjoyed notable features in film, television and music videos, including several popular 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 listed as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Stewardship

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

The sales details for the home highlights finding a purchaser who will conserve the essence of the space.

"For connoisseurs of style, advocates of building, or entities seeking to safeguard an American masterpiece, there is simply nothing comparable," the description state. "This is not merely a transaction; it is a passing of responsibility – a search for the next guardian who will honor the house’s history, value its design integrity, and ensure its protection for posterity."

The specialist affirmed that the selection of buyer would be a crucial one, given the home’s history.

"In my view any time a original family, and a custodianship like this, is being sold of a residence like this, it always causes a little bit of a pause – because you never know what the next owner, what their plans will be. And will they grasp and value the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"