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The famous Stahl house, a paragon of midcentury modern design, is up for sale for the first time in its entire history.

This suspended residence, situated in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, hit the listings this week. The asking price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Stewards Choice to Sell

The Stahl family, who have held title to the residence for its entire 65-year history, shared a announcement regarding their choice to sell. They noted that the dwelling had grown increasingly challenging to maintain.

"This residence has been the heart of our lives for decades, but as we’ve grown older, it has become increasingly challenging to maintain it with the dedication and vigor it so rightfully warrants," stated the offspring of the first owners.

They added that the period had emerged to find a new "guardian" for the house – "an individual who not only values its architectural significance but also grasps its role in the cultural fabric of the city and further afield."

Modest Origins

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

Despite the Stahl house growing into a well-known representation of the city, the family often pointed out that "no famous individuals ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Design Undertaking

The original design for the Stahl house was created during the summer of 1956. However, many builders were originally wary to build it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the owners consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to undertake the task. With assistance from the prominent Case Study program, spearheaded by a key magazine editor, the Stahls received support to hire Koenig.

The progressive program "focused on innovation" and "using new building materials and erecting in sites that maybe earlier the engineering didn’t really enable," remarked an specialist from a local preservation society. "Each of these factors are integrated into a place like the Stahl house, which was innovative, contemporary and unthinkable in terms of how it was built on that location that everyone else believed, at the time, was impossible to build."

Finalization and Iconic Legacy

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and construction started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction cost "only $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The result was "an idealized version of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the authority commented.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer took what is possibly the most famous image of the home. Shot through the full-length glass windows, the image depicts two women positioned in the home’s living room but appearing to float over the LA skyline.

"I think the long-standing impact of this image is due to the way it expresses an idea about residing in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both in the city and removed from it," commented a principal of an architectural firm and educator at a prominent university.

Historic Designation

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

In 1999, the city declared the Stahl house a protected monument, and in 2013, the house was added as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next Ownership

The home is still open for public viewings, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all appointments are currently fully booked through February. In their statement announcing the sale, the family stated they would give "ample notice" before ending the tours.

The sales details for the home stresses finding a purchaser who will maintain the spirit of the space.

"For enthusiasts of architecture, patrons of building, or entities seeking to safeguard an iconic work, there is simply no equal," the description say. "This is not merely a purchase; it is a handover of custody – a quest for the next steward who will celebrate the house’s past, respect its original vision, and secure its protection for posterity."

The expert affirmed that the selection of purchaser would be a vital one, given the home’s past.

"I believe any time a longtime owner, and a custodianship like this, is being sold of a property like this, it always gives us a little bit of a concern – because you never know what the next owner, what their aims will be. And do they understand and value the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"