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The renowned Stahl house, a quintessential example of midcentury modern architecture, is up for sale for the very first time in its entire history.

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

Stewards Choice to Sell

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the home for its entire 65-year history, issued a declaration regarding their choice to sell. They expressed that the dwelling had become too difficult to upkeep.

"This home has been the heart of our lives for decades, but as we’ve grown older, it has become more difficult to look after it with the attention and effort it so richly deserves," wrote the descendants of the initial owners.

They continued that the time had come to find a new "steward" for the house – "a person who not only recognizes its architectural significance but also grasps its role in the cultural landscape of the city and elsewhere."

Unassuming Inception

The inception of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the first owners acquired a mountainous plot of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a well-known symbol of the city, the residents often stressed that "no celebrities ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "average family living in a white-collar house."

Design Undertaking

The initial design for the Stahl house was conceived during the warm season of 1956. However, many builders were originally wary to construct it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to undertake the task. With backing from the influential Case Study program, led by a prominent magazine editor, the Stahls received financial aid to commission Koenig.

The modernist program "focused on innovation" and "utilizing new building materials and constructing in sites that maybe before the techniques didn’t really permit," stated an expert from a regional preservation society. "All those things are integrated into a place like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, contemporary and unimaginable in terms of how it was erected on that site that everyone else thought, at the time, was not feasible."

Realization and Cultural Influence

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and building began in May 1959. According to the family, construction amounted to "just $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The outcome was "a perfect representation of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the specialist added.

Soon after the build ended, a famous architectural photographer captured what is possibly the most famous picture of the home. Taken through the enormous glass windows, the photograph shows two women sitting in the home’s living room but looking to hover over the Los Angeles skyline.

"In my opinion the lasting effect of this photograph is due to the way it expresses an idea about dwelling in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both urban and separate from it," commented a founder of an architectural firm and lecturer at a leading university.

Cultural Designation

The home has made memorable cameos in movies, television and music videos, including several popular titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Next Ownership

The home remains open for tours, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all slots are currently sold out through February. In their statement regarding the sale, the family indicated they would give "sufficient warning" before discontinuing the tours.

The property description for the home emphasizes finding a buyer who will preserve the character of the space.

"For connoisseurs of architecture, advocates of design, or entities seeking to preserve an national treasure, there is simply no equal," the description read. "This is more than a purchase; it is a passing of responsibility – a search for the next guardian who will respect the house’s past, respect its architectural purity, and ensure its protection for posterity."

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

"I believe any time a longtime owner, and a stewardship like this, is being sold of a home like this, it always causes a little bit of a pause – because you never know what the next owner, what their aims will be. And will they understand and cherish the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"