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

This cantilevered home, situated in the Hollywood Hills area, was listed on the market this recent week. The price tag stands at a substantial $25 million.

Stewards Choice to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have owned the property for its full 65-year history, shared a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They expressed that the property had proven too difficult to care for.

"This home has been the core of our lives for decades, but as we’ve aged, it has become increasingly challenging to look after it with the care and vigor it so richly deserves," stated the children of the initial owners.

They continued that the period had arrived to find a new "steward" for the house – "a person who not only recognizes its architectural importance but also grasps its place in the cultural history of Los Angeles and further afield."

Humble Inception

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

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a renowned icon of the city, the owners often emphasized that "no famous individuals ever lived here," describing themselves as a "average family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Design Challenge

The original design for the Stahl house was created during the summer of 1956. However, many architects were at first wary to erect it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to accept the task. With assistance from the notable Case Study program, spearheaded by a key magazine editor, the Stahls received subsidies to engage Koenig.

The contemporary program "focused on innovation" and "using new resources and building in places that maybe earlier the technology didn’t really allow," remarked an specialist from a regional conservancy. "Each of these factors are wrapped up into a site like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, progressive and unthinkable in terms of how it was erected on that location that everyone else considered, at the time, was unbuildable."

Finalization and Iconic Influence

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and building began in May 1959. According to the residents, construction cost "just $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The final product was "the ultimate vision of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the specialist added.

Soon after construction was finished, a celebrated architectural photographer shot what is possibly the most famous picture of the home. Captured through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the image shows two women positioned in the home’s living room but appearing to float over the Los Angeles skyline.

"In my opinion the lasting influence of this photo is due to the way it expresses an idea about living in Los Angeles, an duality about being both metropolitan and detached from it," stated a founder of an architectural firm and lecturer at a prominent university.

Historic Designation

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

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

Next Custodianship

The home continues to be open for visits, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all slots are currently sold out through February. In their release announcing the sale, the family said they would give "plenty of advance notice" before discontinuing the tours.

The property description for the home highlights finding a new owner who will maintain the spirit of the space.

"For enthusiasts of architecture, patrons of building, or institutions seeking to preserve an American masterpiece, there is simply no equal," the listing state. "This is more than a sale; it is a transfer of stewardship – a search for the next guardian who will respect the house’s legacy, respect its architectural purity, and secure its preservation for generations to come."

The specialist affirmed that the decision of new owner would be a critical one, given the home’s history.

"I think any time a long-term steward, and a guardianship like this, is changing ownership of a property like this, it always causes a little bit of a concern – because you never know what the next owner, what their aims will be. And do they understand and cherish the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"