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

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

Family Move to Part With

The Stahl family, who have owned the residence for its entire 65-year history, shared a statement regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the house had grown too difficult to care for.

"This residence has been the center of our lives for many years, but as we’ve grown older, it has become more difficult to care for it with the attention and effort it so rightfully warrants," wrote the offspring of the first owners.

They added that the period had emerged to find a new "custodian" for the house – "someone who not only appreciates its design legacy but also grasps its place in the cultural landscape of the city and elsewhere."

Modest Inception

The inception of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the initial owners purchased a hilly patch of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a well-known icon of the city, the family often emphasized that "nobody famous ever lived here," describing themselves as a "average family living in a white-collar house."

Design Undertaking

The original design for the Stahl house was created during the summer months of 1956. However, many architects were initially hesitant to erect it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls met with architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to accept the challenge. With assistance from the influential Case Study program, led by a leading magazine editor, the Stahls received financial aid to engage Koenig.

The contemporary program "centered around innovation" and "employing new materials and erecting in places that maybe earlier the technology didn’t really allow," remarked an authority from a local conservancy. "Each of these factors are combined into a place like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, modern and inconceivable in terms of how it was erected on that site that everyone else believed, at the time, was impossible to build."

Finalization and Famous Legacy

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and work started in May 1959. According to the family, construction totaled "just $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The final product was "a perfect representation of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the expert noted.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer took what is possibly the most iconic image of the home. Captured through the full-length glass windows, the photograph depicts two women positioned in the home’s living room but appearing to levitate over the LA skyline.

"In my opinion the long-standing influence of this image is due to the way it conveys an concept about dwelling in Los Angeles, an duality about being both urban and separate from it," stated a head of an architectural practice and lecturer at a major university.

Protected Recognition

The home has made historic cameos in cinema, television and videos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city recognized the Stahl house a historic-cultural landmark, and in 2013, the house was included as a preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next Ownership

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 announcement concerning the sale, the family stated 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 enthusiasts of design, supporters of design, or organizations seeking to safeguard an iconic work, there is simply no parallel," the description say. "This is not merely a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a search for the next custodian who will celebrate the house’s past, value its design integrity, and secure its preservation for posterity."

The expert affirmed that the decision of new owner would be a crucial one, given the home’s legacy.

"In my view any time a longtime owner, and a custodianship like this, is being sold of a home like this, it always gives us a little bit of a concern – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And will they understand and appreciate the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"