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The famous Stahl house, a quintessential example of mid-century modern architecture, is up for sale for the first time in its complete history.

This cantilevered dwelling, perched in the Hollywood Hills, was listed on the listings this recent week. The asking price stands at an impressive $25 million.

Family Move to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have owned the home for its full 65-year existence, shared a statement regarding their choice to sell. They expressed that the dwelling had grown too difficult to care for.

"This house has been the core of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve grown older, it has become progressively harder to look after it with the attention and vigor it so rightfully warrants," stated the offspring of the initial owners.

They continued that the moment had emerged to find a new "custodian" for the house – "an individual who not only values its architectural significance but also grasps its position in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and elsewhere."

Modest Origins

The beginnings of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the original owners purchased a hilly patch of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a renowned symbol of the city, the owners often pointed out that "nobody famous ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "average family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Construction Feat

The initial design for the Stahl house was created during the warm season of 1956. However, many architects were originally wary to erect it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to accept the task. With assistance from the prominent Case Study program, led by a key magazine editor, the family received financial aid to commission Koenig.

The modernist program "was about experimentation" and "employing new resources and erecting in sites that maybe before the engineering didn’t really allow," commented an authority from a city preservation society. "All those things are combined into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, contemporary and unimaginable in terms of how it was erected on that plot that everyone else believed, at the time, was unbuildable."

Finalization and Famous Legacy

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and construction started 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 "a perfect representation of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after completion, a celebrated architectural photographer captured what is perhaps the most iconic image of the home. Shot through the enormous glass windows, the image depicts two women seated in the home’s living room but looking to levitate over the city skyline.

"I believe the lasting influence of that image is due to the way it expresses an notion about residing in Los Angeles, an duality about being both in the city and removed from it," said a founder of an architectural company and educator at a leading university.

Protected Designation

The home has had notable cameos in film, TV and music videos, including several well-known 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 included as a preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Stewardship

The home remains open for tours, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all slots are currently reserved through February. In their release announcing the sale, the family indicated they would give "sufficient warning" before ending the tours.

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

"For enthusiasts of style, supporters of architecture, or entities seeking to safeguard an iconic work, there is simply nothing comparable," the details say. "This is more than a transaction; it is a handover of custody – a search for the next steward who will honor the house’s legacy, appreciate its architectural purity, and guarantee its preservation for generations to come."

The specialist concurred that the selection of new owner would be a vital one, given the home’s legacy.

"In my view any time a original family, and a custodianship like this, is being sold of a home like this, it always gives us a little bit of a concern – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And can they comprehend and cherish the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"