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The famous Stahl house, a quintessential example of modernist architecture, is now available for the very first time in its whole history.

This overhanging home, perched in the Hollywood Hills, appeared on the listings this week. The price tag stands at a substantial $25 million.

Owners Decision to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have owned the home for its full 65-year existence, released a announcement regarding their decision to sell. They stated that the dwelling had grown too difficult to maintain.

"This residence has been the core of our lives for many years, but as we’ve grown older, it has become more difficult to look after it with the care and energy it so truly merits," wrote the descendants of the first owners.

They continued that the time had come to find a new "steward" for the house – "someone who not only values its architectural importance but also grasps its place in the cultural fabric of LA and elsewhere."

Humble Origins

The origins of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the initial owners acquired a sloped plot of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a renowned representation of the city, the owners often emphasized that "nobody famous ever lived here," describing themselves as a "average family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Design Undertaking

The initial design for the Stahl house was developed during the summer months of 1956. However, many architects were originally reluctant to construct it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the family met with architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to take on the challenge. With support from the influential Case Study program, spearheaded by a key magazine editor, the owners received support to hire Koenig.

The modernist program "was about innovation" and "using new resources and building in locations that maybe earlier the techniques didn’t really enable," remarked an specialist from a regional conservancy. "Each of these factors are integrated into a site like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and inconceivable in terms of how it was constructed on that location that everyone else considered, at the time, was not feasible."

Realization and Cultural Legacy

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and construction began in May 1959. According to the family, construction amounted to "only $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The outcome was "the ultimate vision of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the specialist added.

Soon after completion, a famous architectural photographer shot what is possibly the most famous image of the home. Captured through the full-length glass windows, the image depicts two women positioned in the home’s living room but looking to levitate over the city skyline.

"I believe the lasting effect of this photograph is due to the way it conveys an notion about residing in Los Angeles, an duality about being both in the city and detached from it," said a head of an architectural practice and lecturer at a prominent university.

Protected Status

The home has made notable appearances in cinema, broadcast and promos, including several popular titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city declared the Stahl house a historic-cultural landmark, 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 appointments are currently fully booked through February. In their release regarding the sale, the family said they would give "ample notice" before ending the tours.

The listing for the home stresses finding a purchaser who will conserve the spirit of the space.

"For enthusiasts of architecture, supporters of building, or organizations seeking to safeguard an American masterpiece, there is simply no parallel," the listing read. "This goes beyond a purchase; it is a handover of custody – a quest for the next steward who will celebrate the house’s past, appreciate its original vision, and guarantee its conservation for posterity."

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

"I think any time a original family, and a stewardship like this, is being sold of a property like this, it always causes a little bit of a hesitation – because you never know what the next owner, what their plans will be. And will they grasp and cherish the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"