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The famous Stahl house, a epitome of mid-century modern architectural design, is now available for the very first time in its entire history.

This overhanging home, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, hit the market this recent week. The asking price stands at a notable $25 million.

Family Choice to Sell

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the property for its full 65-year existence, shared a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They stated that the dwelling had grown too difficult to upkeep.

"This home has been the heart of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become more difficult to look after it with the attention and effort it so truly merits," commented the offspring of the original owners.

They further stated that the moment had arrived to find a new "steward" for the house – "an individual who not only values its architectural significance but also understands its position in the cultural fabric of LA and beyond."

Unassuming Origins

The inception of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the first owners purchased a mountainous patch of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a well-known symbol of the city, the owners often pointed out that "no celebrities ever lived here," describing themselves as a "working-class family living in a luxury house."

Design Challenge

The original design for the Stahl house was conceived during the warm season of 1956. However, many builders were initially reluctant to erect it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the family met with architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to take on the project. With support from the influential Case Study program, spearheaded by a leading magazine editor, the owners received support to commission Koenig.

The contemporary program "focused on experimentation" and "using new building materials and erecting in places that maybe before the techniques didn’t really permit," stated an specialist from a local conservancy. "Each of these factors are wrapped up into a site like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, contemporary and unthinkable in terms of how it was erected on that site that everyone else believed, at the time, was unbuildable."

Finalization and Iconic Legacy

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and building started in May 1959. According to the family, construction cost "only $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The outcome was "an idealized version of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the authority commented.

Soon after construction was finished, a famous architectural photographer captured what is perhaps the most famous picture of the home. Captured through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photograph features two women seated in the home’s living room but seeming to float over the Los Angeles skyline.

"In my opinion the lasting impact of the photo is due to the way it expresses an notion about dwelling in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both metropolitan and removed from it," commented a head of an architectural company and adjunct professor at a prominent university.

Cultural Designation

The home has enjoyed historic cameos in film, TV and promos, including several famous 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 listed as a preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Custodianship

The home is still open for tours, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all tours are currently sold out through February. In their release regarding the sale, the family said they would give "sufficient warning" before ending the tours.

The listing for the home highlights finding a purchaser who will maintain the essence of the space.

"For collectors of architecture, patrons of building, or institutions seeking to preserve an American masterpiece, there is simply no equal," the description say. "This is more than a sale; it is a passing of responsibility – a search for the next steward who will celebrate the house’s legacy, respect its architectural purity, and guarantee its conservation for posterity."

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

"I believe any time a long-term steward, and a stewardship like this, is changing ownership of a home like this, it always creates a little bit of a pause – because you never know what the next owner, what their plans will be. And can they comprehend and value the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"