🔗 Share this article

The renowned Stahl house, a paragon of mid-century modern architecture, is currently listed for the very first time in its complete history.

This cantilevered dwelling, perched in the Hollywood Hills, appeared on the market this recent week. The asking price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Owners Decision to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have held title to the home for its entire 65-year timeline, issued a statement regarding their resolution to sell. They noted that the house had grown excessively demanding to maintain.

"This house has been the heart of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve aged, it has become progressively harder to care for it with the attention and effort it so richly deserves," wrote the children of the first owners.

They further stated that the moment had come to find a new "steward" for the house – "an individual who not only appreciates its architectural significance but also grasps its place in the cultural landscape of the city and elsewhere."

Humble Inception

The origins of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the original owners purchased a sloped parcel of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a renowned representation of the city, the owners often pointed out that "no celebrities ever lived here," describing themselves as a "average family living in a white-collar house."

Construction Undertaking

The initial design for the Stahl house was created during the summer months of 1956. However, many designers were at first wary to construct it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the owners consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to accept the challenge. With backing from the notable Case Study program, pioneered by a leading magazine editor, the owners received support to engage Koenig.

The progressive program "focused on innovation" and "utilizing new building materials and building in places that maybe previously the technology didn’t really enable," stated an specialist from a local preservation society. "All these elements are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, modern and unimaginable in terms of how it was built on that plot that everyone else believed, at the time, was impossible to build."

Finalization and Iconic Legacy

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and work commenced in May 1959. According to the residents, construction amounted to "a mere $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The final product was "an idealized version of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after the build ended, a renowned architectural photographer shot what is possibly the most famous photograph of the home. Captured through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photo depicts two women sitting in the home’s living room but looking to levitate over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I think the lasting impact of this image is due to the way it conveys an concept about residing in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both in the city and separate from it," said a principal of an architectural company and educator at a leading university.

Protected Status

The home has had memorable features in movies, broadcast and music videos, including several well-known titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city declared the Stahl house a historic-cultural landmark, and in 2013, the house was added as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Ownership

The home continues to be open for public viewings, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all appointments are currently reserved through February. In their release announcing the sale, the family indicated they would give "ample notice" before ending the tours.

The listing for the home highlights finding a purchaser who will conserve the spirit of the space.

"For connoisseurs of design, supporters of building, or institutions seeking to safeguard an American masterpiece, there is simply nothing comparable," the description state. "This goes beyond a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a hunt for the next guardian who will celebrate the house’s history, respect its design integrity, and secure its preservation for future generations."

The specialist concurred that the decision of purchaser would be a vital one, given the home’s past.

"In my view any time a longtime owner, and a stewardship like this, is changing ownership of a residence like this, it always causes a little bit of a pause – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their aims will be. And can they understand and appreciate the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"