🔗 Share this article

The renowned Stahl house, a epitome of mid-century modern architectural design, is up for sale for the first time in its entire history.

This cantilevered residence, perched in the Hollywood Hills, appeared on the real estate market this past week. The price tag stands at a notable $25 million.

Owners Move to Sell

The Stahl family, who have held title to the residence for its complete 65-year history, shared a announcement regarding their choice to sell. They expressed that the dwelling had grown increasingly challenging to maintain.

"This home has been the core of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve aged, it has become more difficult to maintain it with the dedication and energy it so truly merits," commented the descendants of the first owners.

They further stated that the moment had arrived to find a new "custodian" for the house – "someone who not only recognizes its design legacy but also understands its role in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and beyond."

Modest Inception

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

Despite the Stahl house becoming a renowned representation of the city, the residents often pointed out that "no celebrities ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "average 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 designers were originally wary to build it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the owners interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to take on the challenge. With backing from the notable Case Study program, spearheaded by a leading magazine editor, the family received subsidies to engage Koenig.

The progressive program "was about innovation" and "employing new materials and erecting in locations that maybe previously the engineering didn’t really permit," commented an specialist from a local conservancy. "All these elements are integrated into a site like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, contemporary and inconceivable in terms of how it was built on that site that everyone else thought, at the time, was not feasible."

Realization and Famous Impact

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and construction began in May 1959. According to the owners, construction amounted to "just $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The outcome was "a perfect representation of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the expert commented.

Soon after construction was finished, a celebrated architectural photographer took what is perhaps the most famous image of the home. Taken through the full-length glass windows, the photo depicts two women positioned in the home’s living room but seeming to hover over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I think the enduring influence of that image is due to the way it expresses an idea about dwelling in Los Angeles, an duality about being both urban and detached from it," said a head of an architectural practice and adjunct professor at a leading university.

Protected Designation

The home has had historic appearances in movies, broadcast and videos, including several famous 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 listed as a preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next Ownership

The home is still open for public viewings, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all appointments are currently sold out through February. In their announcement regarding the sale, the family indicated they would give "plenty of advance notice" before discontinuing the tours.

The listing for the home stresses finding a purchaser who will maintain the spirit of the space.

"For enthusiasts of architecture, supporters of design, or institutions seeking to safeguard an iconic work, there is simply no parallel," the details state. "This is not merely a sale; it is a handover of custody – a search for the next custodian who will celebrate the house’s history, value its design integrity, and guarantee its conservation for generations to come."

The expert agreed that the decision of new owner would be a critical one, given the home’s history.

"In my view any time a original family, and a stewardship like this, is transferring hands of a residence like this, it always creates a little bit of a hesitation – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And can they understand and cherish the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"