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

This cantilevered dwelling, situated in the Hollywood Hills area, was listed on the market this week. The asking price stands at a notable $25 million.

Family Choice to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have owned the residence for its entire 65-year existence, shared a statement regarding their choice to sell. They noted that the property had become too difficult to maintain.

"This house has been the heart of our lives for many years, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become increasingly challenging to look after it with the attention and vigor it so rightfully warrants," stated the offspring of the first owners.

They continued that the moment had arrived to find a new "steward" for the house – "someone who not only appreciates its architectural importance but also understands its role in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and beyond."

Modest Beginnings

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

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

Construction Undertaking

The first design for the Stahl house was conceived during the summer months of 1956. However, many architects were at first wary to build it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to accept the challenge. With assistance from the notable Case Study program, spearheaded by a key magazine editor, the Stahls received subsidies to hire Koenig.

The progressive program "was about trial and error" and "using new resources and building in locations that maybe before the engineering didn’t really allow," commented an specialist from a regional conservancy. "Each of these factors are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and unimaginable in terms of how it was constructed on that location that everyone else thought, at the time, was unbuildable."

Realization and Famous Legacy

The Stahl house was assigned 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 "the ultimate vision of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the expert commented.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer shot what is perhaps the most iconic image of the home. Taken through the full-length glass windows, the photograph depicts two women positioned in the home’s living room but looking to float over the Los Angeles skyline.

"In my opinion the enduring impact of this image is due to the way it conveys an idea about dwelling in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both in the city and removed from it," commented a founder of an architectural practice and adjunct professor at a major university.

Protected Recognition

The home has enjoyed notable features in film, broadcast and videos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city recognized the Stahl house a protected monument, and in 2013, the house was included as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Custodianship

The home is still open for tours, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all slots are currently sold out through February. In their release announcing the sale, the family stated they would give "plenty of advance notice" before ending the tours.

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

"For connoisseurs of design, patrons of design, or entities seeking to safeguard an American masterpiece, there is simply no parallel," the listing read. "This goes beyond a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a hunt for the next guardian who will celebrate the house’s history, appreciate its architectural purity, and secure its protection for generations to come."

The expert agreed that the choice of purchaser would be a vital one, given the home’s history.

"I believe any time a long-term steward, and a custodianship like this, is being sold of a residence like this, it always gives us a little bit of a concern – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their plans will be. And can they comprehend and cherish the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"