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The renowned Stahl house, a epitome of mid-century modern design, is up for sale for the very first time in its complete history.

This overhanging dwelling, perched in the Hollywood Hills, was listed on the real estate market this recent week. The asking price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Owners Move to Sell

The Stahl family, who have owned the property for its full 65-year history, issued a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They expressed that the house had proven excessively demanding to maintain.

"This home has been the heart of our lives for many years, but as we’ve aged, it has become progressively harder to care for it with the care and effort it so truly merits," commented the descendants of the initial owners.

They added that the time had come to find a new "custodian" for the house – "an individual who not only recognizes its design legacy but also grasps its position in the cultural history of the city and beyond."

Unassuming Inception

The inception of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the initial owners acquired a hilly patch 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 owners often pointed out that "nobody famous ever lived here," describing themselves as a "average family living in a luxury house."

Design Challenge

The first design for the Stahl house was created during the summer months of 1956. However, many designers were originally reluctant to erect it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the family met with architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to take on the challenge. With support from the prominent Case Study program, led by a leading magazine editor, the family received subsidies to hire Koenig.

The progressive program "focused on innovation" and "using new materials and building in sites that maybe earlier the technology didn’t really allow," commented an specialist from a city preservation society. "All these elements are wrapped up into a site like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, modern and unthinkable in terms of how it was constructed on that site that everyone else believed, at the time, was impossible to build."

Realization and Famous Legacy

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and building commenced in May 1959. According to the owners, construction cost "a mere $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The final product was "a perfect representation of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after the build ended, a renowned architectural photographer took what is possibly the most well-known picture of the home. Shot through the full-length glass windows, the photo shows two women sitting in the home’s living room but looking to float over the city skyline.

"I believe the enduring impact of the image is due to the way it communicates an notion about residing in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both in the city and separate from it," stated a principal of an architectural company and lecturer at a major university.

Cultural Recognition

The home has made historic appearances in cinema, broadcast and promos, including several popular 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 preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next Ownership

The home remains open for public viewings, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all slots are currently fully booked through February. In their announcement regarding the sale, the family stated they would give "ample notice" before discontinuing the tours.

The listing for the home stresses finding a purchaser who will preserve the character of the space.

"For collectors of architecture, supporters of architecture, or institutions seeking to preserve an national treasure, there is simply nothing comparable," the listing say. "This goes beyond a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a hunt for the next steward who will celebrate the house’s legacy, respect its architectural purity, and guarantee its protection for future generations."

The expert affirmed that the choice of new owner would be a crucial one, given the home’s legacy.

"I believe any time a original family, and a custodianship like this, is changing ownership of a property like this, it always causes a little bit of a concern – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And can they understand and value the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"