🔗 Share this article

The renowned Stahl house, a quintessential example of mid-century modern design, is now available for the initial occasion in its complete history.

This overhanging home, nestled in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, was listed on the market this past week. The listing price stands at an impressive $25 million.

Family Decision to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the property for its full 65-year history, released a announcement regarding their choice to sell. They expressed that the dwelling had grown too difficult to upkeep.

"This home has been the heart of our lives for decades, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become progressively harder to care for it with the dedication and energy it so truly merits," wrote the descendants of the initial owners.

They continued that the moment had emerged to find a new "custodian" for the house – "a person who not only values its design legacy but also comprehends its role in the cultural fabric of the city and elsewhere."

Humble Beginnings

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

Despite the Stahl house growing into a well-known representation of the city, the owners often stressed that "nobody famous ever lived here," describing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a luxury house."

Construction Undertaking

The original design for the Stahl house was developed during the summer of 1956. However, many builders were initially reluctant to construct it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the family met with architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to accept the challenge. With backing from the prominent Case Study program, pioneered by a leading magazine editor, the owners received subsidies to commission Koenig.

The progressive program "focused on experimentation" and "using new materials and constructing in sites that maybe previously the engineering didn’t really permit," remarked an specialist from a city preservation society. "All these elements are wrapped up into a site like the Stahl house, which was innovative, modern and unthinkable in terms of how it was erected on that location that everyone else thought, at the time, was unbuildable."

Completion and Iconic Legacy

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and work began in May 1959. According to the owners, construction cost "just $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The result was "an idealized version of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the authority noted.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer shot what is arguably the most well-known photograph of the home. Shot through the full-length glass windows, the photo depicts two women seated in the home’s living room but looking to float over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I think the enduring impact of this photo is due to the way it communicates an concept about dwelling in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both urban and separate from it," said a head of an architectural practice and adjunct professor at a prominent university.

Historic Recognition

The home has enjoyed memorable appearances in movies, TV and promos, including several famous 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 protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Ownership

The home is still open for public viewings, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all slots are currently sold out through February. In their announcement regarding the sale, the family said they would give "plenty of advance notice" before discontinuing the tours.

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

"For connoisseurs of design, patrons of architecture, or institutions seeking to preserve an iconic work, there is simply no parallel," the description read. "This is not merely a sale; it is a passing of responsibility – a search for the next steward who will honor the house’s past, appreciate its architectural purity, and guarantee its conservation for future generations."

The authority concurred that the selection of new owner would be a vital one, given the home’s legacy.

"In my view any time a long-term steward, and a custodianship like this, is changing ownership of a home like this, it always gives us a little bit of a hesitation – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And do they grasp and value the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"