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The celebrated Stahl house, a paragon of modernist design, is up for sale for the first time in its entire history.

This cantilevered residence, situated in the Hollywood Hills, appeared on the listings this recent week. The asking price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Family Choice to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have held title to the home for its complete 65-year timeline, issued a announcement regarding their resolution to sell. They stated that the property had proven too difficult to maintain.

"This residence has been the center of our lives for decades, but as we’ve aged, it has become progressively harder to maintain it with the care and effort it so richly deserves," wrote the offspring of the original owners.

They added that the time had emerged to find a new "guardian" for the house – "an individual who not only appreciates its architectural significance but also comprehends its role in the cultural landscape of the city and further afield."

Modest Beginnings

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

Despite the Stahl house becoming a well-known icon of the city, the family often emphasized that "nobody famous ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "average family living in a luxury house."

Architectural Undertaking

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

In November 1957, the Stahls interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to take on the task. With backing from the notable Case Study program, spearheaded by a leading magazine editor, the owners received subsidies to hire Koenig.

The progressive program "centered around innovation" and "utilizing new materials and constructing in locations that maybe earlier the techniques didn’t really permit," stated an expert from a local preservation society. "All those things are integrated into a site like the Stahl house, which was innovative, contemporary and inconceivable in terms of how it was built on that site that everyone else considered, at the time, was unbuildable."

Completion and Famous Legacy

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and construction began in May 1959. According to the family, construction amounted to "only $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The outcome was "an idealized version of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the authority commented.

Soon after the build ended, a renowned architectural photographer took what is perhaps the most well-known photograph of the home. Shot through the enormous glass windows, the image shows two women sitting in the home’s living room but seeming to levitate over the city skyline.

"I believe the enduring effect of the photograph is due to the way it expresses an idea about residing in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both urban and removed from it," said a head of an architectural company and educator at a major university.

Protected Recognition

The home has made memorable appearances in cinema, television and videos, including several popular 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 listed as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Stewardship

The home remains open for tours, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all slots are currently reserved through February. In their release announcing the sale, the family stated they would give "plenty of advance notice" before discontinuing the tours.

The listing for the home emphasizes finding a buyer who will preserve the spirit of the space.

"For enthusiasts of design, supporters of design, or institutions seeking to safeguard an national treasure, there is simply nothing comparable," the details read. "This is more than a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a search for the next steward who will respect the house’s history, appreciate its design integrity, and ensure its preservation for future generations."

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

"I believe any time a longtime owner, and a guardianship like this, is changing ownership of a property like this, it always causes a little bit of a concern – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their plans will be. And will they grasp and value the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"