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The famous Stahl house, a quintessential example of modernist design, is up for sale for the first time in its whole history.

This overhanging home, nestled in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, hit the listings this recent week. The listing price stands at an impressive $25 million.

Family Decision to Part With

The Stahl family, who have owned the property for its entire 65-year timeline, released a announcement regarding their resolution to sell. They stated that the property had become increasingly challenging to maintain.

"This residence has been the core of our lives for decades, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become increasingly challenging to maintain it with the attention and effort it so richly deserves," wrote the descendants of the original owners.

They continued that the moment had emerged to find a new "steward" for the house – "a person who not only appreciates its design legacy but also comprehends its position in the cultural history of Los Angeles and elsewhere."

Humble Beginnings

The origins of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the first owners purchased a mountainous plot of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a well-known icon of the city, the residents often emphasized that "nobody famous ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "average family living in a luxury house."

Design Undertaking

The original design for the Stahl house was conceived during the summer months of 1956. However, many builders were originally reluctant to build it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the family consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to undertake the task. With backing from the influential Case Study program, led by a leading magazine editor, the owners received subsidies to hire Koenig.

The modernist program "focused on experimentation" and "using new building materials and constructing in locations that maybe previously the techniques didn’t really enable," stated an authority from a regional conservancy. "Each of these factors are integrated into a place like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, modern and inconceivable in terms of how it was constructed on that plot that everyone else believed, at the time, was not feasible."

Completion and Iconic Impact

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and building started in May 1959. According to the residents, construction amounted to "only $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The final product was "the ultimate vision of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the authority noted.

Soon after completion, a renowned architectural photographer took what is arguably the most iconic photograph of the home. Shot through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the image shows two women seated in the home’s living room but appearing to float over the LA skyline.

"I believe the enduring effect of this photo is due to the way it expresses an idea about living in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both in the city and removed from it," stated a head of an architectural practice and adjunct professor at a prominent university.

Historic Recognition

The home has had historic features in movies, TV and videos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Next Custodianship

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

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

"For collectors of architecture, patrons of architecture, or institutions seeking to protect an iconic work, there is simply nothing comparable," the listing state. "This is more than a purchase; it is a transfer of stewardship – a quest for the next guardian who will celebrate the house’s legacy, value its design integrity, and ensure its preservation for generations to come."

The authority affirmed that the decision of new owner would be a crucial one, given the home’s history.

"In my view any time a long-term steward, and a custodianship like this, is changing ownership 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 will they understand and appreciate the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"