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

This cantilevered residence, perched in the Hollywood Hills area, hit the real estate market this past week. The asking price stands at an impressive $25 million.

Stewards Decision to Part With

The Stahl family, who have owned the property for its full 65-year existence, issued a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the house had proven too difficult to maintain.

"This residence has been the heart of our lives for many years, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become increasingly challenging to care for it with the attention and energy it so rightfully warrants," wrote the offspring of the initial owners.

They added that the period had come to find a new "steward" for the house – "a person who not only appreciates its architectural importance but also understands its position in the cultural history of the city and further afield."

Modest Inception

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

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a renowned icon of the city, the owners often pointed out that "nobody famous ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a white-collar house."

Architectural Feat

The initial design for the Stahl house was conceived during the summer of 1956. However, many designers were originally hesitant to build it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the owners met with architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to take on the project. With backing from the influential Case Study program, led by a leading magazine editor, the Stahls received support to engage Koenig.

The progressive program "centered around experimentation" and "using new materials and constructing in sites that maybe earlier the engineering didn’t really enable," stated an expert from a local heritage organization. "All those things are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and unimaginable in terms of how it was erected on that site that everyone else believed, at the time, was unbuildable."

Completion and Cultural Impact

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and construction began in May 1959. According to the residents, construction totaled "only $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The result was "a perfect representation of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the expert added.

Soon after completion, a renowned architectural photographer shot what is possibly the most famous photograph of the home. Shot through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photo features two women positioned in the home’s living room but seeming to levitate over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I think the enduring impact of this photo is due to the way it conveys an notion about dwelling in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both urban and removed from it," said a founder of an architectural firm and adjunct professor at a major university.

Protected Designation

The home has enjoyed historic features in movies, television and promos, including several well-known titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city designated the Stahl house a historic-cultural landmark, and in 2013, the house was included as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Stewardship

The home is still open for visits, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all slots are currently fully booked through February. In their announcement concerning the sale, the family indicated they would give "ample notice" before discontinuing the tours.

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

"For enthusiasts of style, supporters of architecture, or institutions seeking to preserve an national treasure, there is simply nothing comparable," the details read. "This goes beyond a purchase; it is a passing of responsibility – a quest for the next guardian who will honor the house’s legacy, appreciate its original vision, and secure its preservation for posterity."

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

"I believe any time a original family, and a stewardship like this, is transferring hands of a home like this, it always causes a little bit of a hesitation – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And can they understand and cherish the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"