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The renowned Stahl house, a quintessential example of midcentury modern architectural design, is currently listed for the first time in its whole history.

This overhanging home, perched in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, appeared on the market this week. The asking price stands at a notable $25 million.

Family Move to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the home for its complete 65-year history, released a announcement regarding their decision to sell. They expressed that the dwelling had proven increasingly challenging to upkeep.

"This house has been the core of our lives for decades, but as we’ve grown older, it has become more difficult to look after it with the dedication and energy it so richly deserves," wrote the descendants of the original owners.

They continued that the period had come to find a new "custodian" for the house – "a person who not only values its architectural importance but also comprehends its position in the cultural history of LA and elsewhere."

Modest Origins

The inception of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the first owners bought a hilly patch of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a famous symbol of the city, the residents often emphasized that "nobody famous ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "working-class family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Construction Feat

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

In November 1957, the family interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to accept the task. With backing from the prominent Case Study program, pioneered by a key magazine editor, the family received financial aid to commission Koenig.

The modernist program "was about trial and error" and "using new resources and constructing in places that maybe before the technology didn’t really enable," remarked an expert from a local preservation society. "Each of these factors are combined into a place like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and unthinkable in terms of how it was erected on that site that everyone else thought, at the time, was impossible to build."

Realization and Iconic Impact

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and work started in May 1959. According to the residents, construction totaled "just $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The result was "the ultimate vision of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after completion, a famous architectural photographer shot what is possibly the most famous image of the home. Taken through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photo shows two women sitting in the home’s living room but appearing to levitate over the LA skyline.

"I think the enduring effect of the image is due to the way it communicates an concept about living in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both urban and detached from it," commented a head of an architectural company and educator at a major university.

Historic Recognition

The home has enjoyed memorable appearances 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 preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Custodianship

The home continues to be open for public viewings, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all slots are currently sold out through February. In their statement announcing the sale, the family indicated they would give "sufficient warning" before ending the tours.

The property description for the home emphasizes finding a buyer who will preserve the spirit of the space.

"For enthusiasts of design, patrons of building, or entities seeking to safeguard an national treasure, there is simply nothing comparable," the listing say. "This is more than a sale; it is a passing of responsibility – a search for the next steward who will respect the house’s past, value its architectural purity, and ensure its conservation for future generations."

The authority affirmed that the choice of new owner would be a critical one, given the home’s past.

"I think any time a original family, and a stewardship like this, is changing ownership of a home like this, it always causes a little bit of a concern – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their aims will be. And do they grasp and appreciate the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"