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The famous Stahl house, a epitome of modernist architecture, is now available for the first time in its entire history.

This overhanging residence, situated in the Hollywood Hills, appeared on the real estate market this past week. The price tag stands at a substantial $25 million.

Stewards Choice to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the home for its full 65-year existence, issued a announcement regarding their resolution to sell. They stated that the house had proven increasingly challenging to care for.

"This house has been the center of our lives for many years, but as we’ve grown older, it has become progressively harder to care for it with the dedication and energy it so truly merits," wrote the offspring of the initial owners.

They further stated that the moment had come to find a new "steward" for the house – "a person who not only appreciates its design legacy but also grasps its position in the cultural fabric of the city and elsewhere."

Modest Origins

The beginnings of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the first owners acquired a hilly plot of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a renowned representation of the city, the residents often stressed that "nobody famous ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "average family living in a luxury house."

Construction Challenge

The original design for the Stahl house was conceived during the summer months of 1956. However, many architects were at first wary to construct it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the family interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to undertake the challenge. With backing from the influential Case Study program, pioneered by a leading magazine editor, the owners received support to commission Koenig.

The modernist program "centered around trial and error" and "using new materials and erecting in places that maybe before the engineering didn’t really enable," remarked an expert from a local preservation society. "All these elements are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, contemporary and unimaginable in terms of how it was constructed on that plot that everyone else considered, at the time, was impossible to build."

Finalization and Iconic Impact

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and work began in May 1959. According to the residents, construction totaled "only $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The result was "a perfect representation of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the authority noted.

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

"I believe the lasting influence of this image is due to the way it conveys an concept about dwelling in Los Angeles, an duality about being both urban and separate from it," said a head of an architectural firm and lecturer at a major university.

Historic Recognition

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

In 1999, the city recognized the Stahl house a heritage site, and in 2013, the house was added as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Ownership

The home continues to be open for public viewings, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all slots are currently reserved through February. In their release announcing the sale, the family said they would give "plenty of advance notice" before stopping the tours.

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

"For connoisseurs of design, patrons of design, or institutions seeking to protect an national treasure, there is simply no parallel," the description say. "This goes beyond a purchase; it is a transfer of stewardship – a quest for the next guardian who will honor the house’s legacy, appreciate its architectural purity, and guarantee its protection for posterity."

The specialist affirmed that the selection of new owner would be a critical one, given the home’s history.

"I believe any time a long-term steward, and a guardianship like this, is being sold of a residence like this, it always creates a little bit of a concern – because you never know 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?"