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

This overhanging residence, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, appeared on the listings this past week. The price tag stands at a notable $25 million.

Stewards Move to Sell

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the residence for its entire 65-year existence, issued a statement regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the house had become increasingly challenging to maintain.

"This house has been the core of our lives for decades, but as we’ve aged, it has become increasingly challenging to care for it with the attention and energy it so richly deserves," stated the offspring of the first owners.

They added that the period had emerged to find a new "steward" for the house – "a person who not only recognizes its architectural significance but also understands its position in the cultural history of Los Angeles and further afield."

Modest Inception

The inception of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the original owners purchased a hilly plot of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a well-known representation of the city, the residents often pointed out that "nobody famous ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Construction Undertaking

The initial design for the Stahl house was created during the summer months of 1956. However, many designers were originally wary to construct it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the owners consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to accept the challenge. With assistance from the prominent Case Study program, spearheaded by a leading magazine editor, the owners received subsidies to engage Koenig.

The progressive program "focused on innovation" and "employing new resources and erecting in sites that maybe previously the engineering didn’t really allow," remarked an expert from a regional conservancy. "All those things are wrapped up into a site like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and unimaginable in terms of how it was constructed on that location that everyone else considered, at the time, was not feasible."

Completion and Iconic Influence

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

Soon after the build ended, a celebrated architectural photographer captured what is possibly the most famous photograph of the home. Taken through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the image depicts two women sitting in the home’s living room but seeming to float over the city skyline.

"I believe the long-standing impact of this photograph is due to the way it expresses an concept about dwelling in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both metropolitan and removed from it," commented a founder of an architectural company and lecturer at a prominent university.

Protected Recognition

The home has enjoyed memorable cameos in film, TV and promos, including several famous 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 added as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Stewardship

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

The sales details for the home highlights finding a buyer who will conserve the character of the space.

"For enthusiasts of style, patrons of architecture, or organizations seeking to protect an national treasure, there is simply no parallel," the description state. "This is more than a transaction; it is a passing of responsibility – a search for the next custodian who will honor the house’s legacy, respect its architectural purity, and secure its conservation for posterity."

The expert agreed that the decision of buyer would be a vital one, given the home’s history.

"I believe any time a longtime owner, and a custodianship like this, is transferring hands of a home like this, it always creates a little bit of a pause – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their aims will be. And do they comprehend and appreciate the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"