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The renowned Stahl house, a paragon of modernist architectural design, is now available for the first time in its complete history.

This overhanging residence, perched in the Hollywood Hills area, appeared on the real estate market this past week. The asking price stands at a notable $25 million.

Stewards Move to Sell

The Stahl family, who have held title to the home for its complete 65-year history, issued a declaration regarding their choice to sell. They noted that the house had proven too difficult to care for.

"This home has been the center of our lives for many years, but as we’ve grown older, it has become more difficult to look after it with the attention and energy it so rightfully warrants," stated the offspring of the first owners.

They continued that the period had emerged to find a new "steward" for the house – "a person who not only appreciates its design legacy but also grasps its role in the cultural history of LA and elsewhere."

Humble Origins

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

Despite the Stahl house growing into a famous icon of the city, the residents often stressed that "nobody famous ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "working-class family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Design Undertaking

The first design for the Stahl house was created during the warm season of 1956. However, many architects were initially hesitant to build it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to take on the challenge. With backing from the notable Case Study program, spearheaded by a key magazine editor, the family received financial aid to hire Koenig.

The progressive program "focused on trial and error" and "employing new building materials and erecting in sites that maybe earlier the techniques didn’t really allow," remarked an specialist from a regional preservation society. "All these elements are wrapped up into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, modern and unimaginable in terms of how it was erected on that plot that everyone else considered, at the time, was impossible to build."

Completion and Iconic Legacy

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and building began in May 1959. According to the owners, construction cost "just $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The final product was "the ultimate vision of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the authority noted.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer captured what is possibly the most famous picture of the home. Shot through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photograph depicts two women seated in the home’s living room but appearing to levitate over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I believe the long-standing impact of that image is due to the way it expresses an concept about living in Los Angeles, an duality about being both in the city and separate from it," commented a principal of an architectural firm and adjunct professor at a major university.

Cultural Status

The home has had memorable appearances in film, TV and music videos, 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 conserved building 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 release regarding the sale, the family stated they would give "sufficient warning" before stopping the tours.

The property description for the home emphasizes finding a new owner who will maintain the essence of the space.

"For connoisseurs of architecture, patrons of building, or institutions seeking to safeguard an American masterpiece, there is simply nothing comparable," the details read. "This is more than a sale; it is a passing of responsibility – a search for the next guardian who will respect the house’s legacy, value its architectural purity, and guarantee its conservation for posterity."

The specialist agreed that the decision of purchaser would be a crucial one, given the home’s past.

"In my view any time a long-term steward, and a stewardship like this, is being sold of a home like this, it always gives us a little bit of a pause – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their plans will be. And will they comprehend and appreciate the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"