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The celebrated Stahl house, a quintessential example of midcentury modern architecture, is up for sale for the very first time in its whole history.

This overhanging home, situated in the Hollywood Hills, hit the market this recent week. The listing price stands at a notable $25 million.

Owners Decision to Part With

The Stahl family, who have owned the home for its full 65-year history, shared a statement regarding their resolution to sell. They noted that the dwelling had become excessively demanding to upkeep.

"This house has been the core of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve grown older, it has become increasingly challenging to care for it with the dedication and energy it so rightfully warrants," stated the children of the first owners.

They continued that the time had arrived to find a new "steward" for the house – "a person who not only values its design legacy but also comprehends its position in the cultural history of Los Angeles and elsewhere."

Modest Inception

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

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a renowned representation of the city, the owners often stressed that "no celebrities ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a luxury house."

Design Undertaking

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

In November 1957, the family met with architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to undertake the project. With assistance from the prominent Case Study program, pioneered by a key magazine editor, the family received support to commission Koenig.

The contemporary program "was about innovation" and "using new building materials and building in sites that maybe previously the technology didn’t really allow," remarked an expert from a local preservation society. "Each of these factors are wrapped up into a place like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, contemporary and unthinkable in terms of how it was constructed on that site that everyone else thought, at the time, was impossible to build."

Finalization and Iconic Impact

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 completed by May 1960. The final product was "the ultimate vision of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the authority added.

Soon after the build ended, a famous architectural photographer shot what is possibly the most iconic picture of the home. Shot through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photo shows two women positioned in the home’s living room but appearing to hover over the Los Angeles skyline.

"In my opinion the long-standing impact of that image is due to the way it communicates an notion about residing in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both in the city and separate from it," stated a founder of an architectural firm and educator at a prominent university.

Protected Designation

The home has had historic appearances in cinema, broadcast and promos, including several popular titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Coming Custodianship

The home continues to be open for tours, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all appointments are currently fully booked through February. In their release regarding the sale, the family said they would give "ample notice" before ending the tours.

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

"For collectors of style, patrons of design, or organizations seeking to preserve an iconic work, there is simply no parallel," the listing state. "This goes beyond a sale; it is a transfer of stewardship – a hunt for the next steward who will celebrate the house’s past, value its architectural purity, and ensure its preservation for future generations."

The authority agreed that the selection of purchaser would be a crucial one, given the home’s history.

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