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The famous Stahl house, a epitome of midcentury modern design, is now available for the first time in its complete history.

This overhanging dwelling, perched in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, hit the market this past week. The asking price stands at an impressive $25 million.

Family Choice to Sell

The Stahl family, who have held title to the property for its entire 65-year existence, shared a announcement regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the property had become 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 progressively harder to maintain it with the attention and energy it so richly deserves," commented the children of the first owners.

They continued that the period had emerged to find a new "steward" for the house – "someone who not only values its design legacy but also understands its role in the cultural history of LA and further afield."

Modest Inception

The inception of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the first owners acquired a hilly parcel of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a famous icon of the city, the family often pointed out that "no celebrities ever lived here," describing themselves as a "working-class family living in a luxury house."

Architectural Undertaking

The first design for the Stahl house was created during the summer of 1956. However, many designers were initially reluctant to build it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the owners interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to undertake the project. With assistance from the prominent Case Study program, pioneered by a key magazine editor, the owners received support to commission Koenig.

The progressive program "was about trial and error" and "using new resources and building in locations that maybe earlier the technology didn’t really allow," remarked an specialist from a city heritage organization. "Each of these factors are wrapped up into a property like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, modern and inconceivable in terms of how it was built on that plot that everyone else considered, at the time, was unbuildable."

Realization and Iconic Impact

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and construction started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction totaled "a mere $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The outcome was "a perfect representation of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after the build ended, a famous architectural photographer took what is possibly the most iconic image of the home. Captured through the full-length glass windows, the photo shows two women positioned in the home’s living room but seeming to levitate over the LA skyline.

"In my opinion the lasting influence of the photo is due to the way it communicates an notion about residing in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both in the city and removed from it," stated a head of an architectural firm and educator at a leading university.

Cultural Designation

The home has enjoyed historic features in cinema, TV and videos, 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 included as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Custodianship

The home continues to be open for visits, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all tours are currently reserved through February. In their statement concerning the sale, the family said they would give "ample notice" before ending the tours.

The sales details for the home stresses finding a buyer who will conserve the essence of the space.

"For collectors of architecture, supporters of architecture, or organizations seeking to preserve an national treasure, there is simply nothing comparable," the listing state. "This goes beyond a purchase; it is a transfer of stewardship – a hunt for the next steward who will honor the house’s legacy, respect its architectural purity, and ensure its protection for future generations."

The expert affirmed that the selection of buyer would be a vital one, given the home’s past.

"In my view any time a long-term steward, and a guardianship like this, is transferring hands of a home like this, it always creates a little bit of a hesitation – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their aims will be. And can they grasp and cherish the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"