🔗 Share this article

The celebrated Stahl house, a quintessential example of midcentury modern design, is now available for the initial occasion in its entire history.

This overhanging residence, situated in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, was listed on the market this week. The listing price stands at a notable $25 million.

Stewards Move to Part With

The Stahl family, who have held title to the residence for its full 65-year history, issued a statement regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the property had grown too difficult to maintain.

"This house has been the center of our lives for decades, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become increasingly challenging to look after it with the dedication and energy it so richly deserves," wrote the descendants of the first owners.

They continued that the moment had arrived to find a new "steward" for the house – "an individual who not only appreciates its architectural importance but also grasps its place in the cultural fabric of Los Angeles and elsewhere."

Unassuming Beginnings

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

Despite the Stahl house becoming a famous symbol of the city, the family often pointed out that "no famous individuals ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "working-class family living in a white-collar house."

Architectural Undertaking

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

In November 1957, the owners met with architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to take on the challenge. With support from the influential Case Study program, spearheaded by a prominent magazine editor, the Stahls received financial aid to commission Koenig.

The progressive program "centered around innovation" and "employing new materials and erecting in places that maybe earlier the technology didn’t really permit," commented an authority from a regional preservation society. "All these elements are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and unimaginable in terms of how it was constructed on that location that everyone else thought, at the time, was impossible to build."

Completion and Famous Impact

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and construction started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction cost "only $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The final product was "an idealized version of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the specialist added.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer captured what is perhaps the most well-known image of the home. Shot through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the image features two women sitting in the home’s living room but looking to float over the LA skyline.

"In my opinion the lasting effect of this image is due to the way it communicates an concept about residing in Los Angeles, an duality about being both urban and detached from it," stated a founder of an architectural firm and adjunct professor at a leading university.

Protected Designation

The home has enjoyed memorable appearances in cinema, broadcast and promos, including several well-known 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 listed as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Custodianship

The home continues to be open for public viewings, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all slots are currently reserved through February. In their release concerning the sale, the family stated they would give "plenty of advance notice" before ending the tours.

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

"For connoisseurs of style, patrons of design, or institutions seeking to preserve an iconic work, there is simply nothing comparable," the details read. "This goes beyond a sale; it is a transfer of stewardship – a search for the next custodian who will honor the house’s history, appreciate its original vision, and ensure its protection for posterity."

The authority agreed that the choice of new owner would be a critical one, given the home’s past.

"In my view any time a longtime owner, and a stewardship like this, is transferring hands of a residence like this, it always creates a little bit of a pause – because you never know what the next owner, what their aims will be. And can they grasp and appreciate the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"