🔗 Share this article

The famous Stahl house, a paragon of modernist design, is currently listed for the very first time in its entire history.

This overhanging home, perched in the Hollywood Hills, appeared on the market this past week. The price tag stands at an impressive $25 million.

Stewards Decision to Sell

The Stahl family, who have held title to the property for its full 65-year history, issued a announcement regarding their decision to sell. They expressed that the property had proven excessively demanding to upkeep.

"This home has been the heart of our lives for many years, but as we’ve aged, it has become increasingly challenging to care for it with the attention and effort it so richly deserves," stated the children of the first owners.

They continued that the period had come to find a new "guardian" for the house – "someone who not only appreciates its architectural significance but also grasps its role in the cultural fabric of Los Angeles and further afield."

Unassuming Inception

The beginnings of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the original owners bought a hilly plot of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a famous representation of the city, the family often stressed that "nobody famous ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "average family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Architectural Challenge

The initial design for the Stahl house was created during the summer of 1956. However, many architects were originally hesitant to construct it on the challenging hillside.

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

The progressive program "centered around trial and error" and "employing new building materials and constructing in locations that maybe earlier the engineering didn’t really enable," remarked an expert from a city preservation society. "Each of these factors are combined into a site like the Stahl house, which was innovative, contemporary and unthinkable in terms of how it was constructed on that location that everyone else considered, at the time, was not feasible."

Realization and Iconic Legacy

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and construction commenced in May 1959. According to the owners, construction cost "just $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The outcome was "the ultimate vision of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer shot what is possibly the most well-known image of the home. Taken through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the image depicts two women sitting in the home’s living room but appearing to levitate over the city skyline.

"In my opinion the enduring effect of this photograph is due to the way it expresses an notion about living in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both metropolitan and separate from it," stated a head of an architectural practice and educator at a major university.

Historic Designation

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

In 1999, the city declared the Stahl house a heritage site, and in 2013, the house was added as a preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Custodianship

The home remains open for public viewings, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all appointments are currently fully booked through February. In their statement announcing the sale, the family said they would give "sufficient warning" before ending the tours.

The listing for the home emphasizes finding a new owner who will conserve the spirit of the space.

"For enthusiasts of style, supporters of architecture, or organizations seeking to protect an American masterpiece, there is simply no equal," the details say. "This is not merely a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a hunt for the next custodian who will celebrate the house’s history, appreciate its design integrity, and guarantee its preservation for future generations."

The authority concurred that the choice of purchaser would be a vital one, given the home’s legacy.

"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 hesitation – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And do they comprehend and cherish the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"