🔗 Share this article

The famous Stahl house, a paragon of midcentury modern architectural design, is now available for the very first time in its whole history.

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

Owners Move to Sell

The Stahl family, who have owned the property for its entire 65-year history, released a statement regarding their resolution to sell. They stated that the dwelling had proven too difficult to care for.

"This residence has been the center of our lives for many years, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become increasingly challenging to maintain it with the dedication and effort it so richly deserves," commented the children of the original owners.

They further stated that the time had arrived to find a new "guardian" for the house – "someone who not only appreciates its architectural importance but also understands its role in the cultural fabric of Los Angeles and beyond."

Modest Inception

The inception of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the original owners acquired a sloped patch of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a renowned icon of the city, the residents often stressed that "no famous individuals ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "working-class family living in a luxury house."

Construction Challenge

The first design for the Stahl house was developed during the warm season of 1956. However, many architects were at first hesitant to build it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the family met with architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to undertake the project. With backing from the influential Case Study program, pioneered by a leading magazine editor, the Stahls received subsidies to commission Koenig.

The modernist program "was about innovation" and "using new materials and building in sites that maybe earlier the techniques didn’t really permit," remarked an expert from a regional heritage organization. "Each of these factors are wrapped up into a place like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, modern and unthinkable in terms of how it was built on that plot that everyone else believed, at the time, was not feasible."

Completion and Iconic Legacy

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and building commenced in May 1959. According to the family, construction cost "a mere $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The result was "an idealized version of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the authority commented.

Soon after the build ended, a famous architectural photographer captured what is perhaps the most famous photograph of the home. Captured through the enormous glass windows, the image features two women sitting in the home’s living room but seeming to levitate over the city skyline.

"I believe the long-standing impact of that image is due to the way it communicates an idea about dwelling in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both in the city and removed from it," said a principal of an architectural company and adjunct professor at a leading university.

Cultural Status

The home has made memorable appearances in film, TV and music videos, including several popular titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city declared the Stahl house a protected monument, and in 2013, the house was added as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Stewardship

The home continues to be open for public viewings, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all tours are currently fully booked through February. In their release announcing the sale, the family indicated they would give "sufficient warning" before discontinuing the tours.

The listing for the home highlights finding a buyer who will conserve the character of the space.

"For enthusiasts of style, supporters of design, or institutions seeking to preserve an American masterpiece, there is simply no parallel," the details say. "This is not merely a sale; it is a passing of responsibility – a quest for the next guardian who will honor the house’s history, value its architectural purity, and secure its protection for posterity."

The authority affirmed that the selection of buyer would be a crucial one, given the home’s legacy.

"I believe any time a original family, and a custodianship like this, is changing ownership of a home like this, it always creates a little bit of a concern – because you never know what the next owner, what their plans will be. And will they understand and cherish the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"