🔗 Share this article

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

This cantilevered home, situated in the Hollywood Hills, hit the market this past week. The listing price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Stewards Move to Part With

The Stahl family, who have held title to the residence for its full 65-year existence, shared a statement regarding their choice to sell. They stated that the dwelling had become increasingly challenging to upkeep.

"This residence has been the center of our lives for many years, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become progressively harder to care for it with the dedication and energy it so richly deserves," wrote the offspring of the first owners.

They further stated that the period had emerged to find a new "custodian" for the house – "a person who not only recognizes its architectural importance but also grasps its role in the cultural history of Los Angeles and elsewhere."

Modest Beginnings

The beginnings of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the original owners acquired a mountainous parcel of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a well-known icon of the city, the residents often stressed that "no celebrities ever lived here," describing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Construction Feat

The original design for the Stahl house was conceived during the summer months of 1956. However, many architects were initially reluctant to erect it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the owners consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to undertake the task. With assistance from the influential Case Study program, spearheaded by a leading magazine editor, the owners received financial aid to hire Koenig.

The contemporary program "was about trial and error" and "using new materials and building in sites that maybe before the techniques didn’t really allow," remarked an authority from a local conservancy. "All those things are integrated into a place like the Stahl house, which was innovative, contemporary and inconceivable in terms of how it was constructed on that location that everyone else considered, at the time, was not feasible."

Realization and Cultural Legacy

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and construction began in May 1959. According to the owners, construction totaled "a mere $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The result was "an idealized version of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the expert added.

Soon after the build ended, a celebrated architectural photographer shot what is arguably the most well-known picture of the home. Taken through the enormous glass windows, the photo shows two women seated in the home’s living room but seeming to hover over the city skyline.

"I think the lasting effect of this image is due to the way it expresses an concept about dwelling in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both metropolitan and separate from it," said a founder of an architectural company and lecturer at a prominent university.

Protected Recognition

The home has had historic features in film, TV and promos, including several well-known titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city declared the Stahl house a heritage site, and in 2013, the house was included as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Ownership

The home is still open for tours, 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 stated they would give "plenty of advance notice" before discontinuing the tours.

The property description for the home stresses finding a buyer who will maintain the spirit of the space.

"For enthusiasts of architecture, advocates of building, or organizations seeking to preserve an American masterpiece, there is simply nothing comparable," the description say. "This is not merely a transaction; it is a handover of custody – a hunt for the next guardian who will honor the house’s history, respect its design integrity, and secure its preservation for generations to come."

The specialist affirmed that the selection of purchaser would be a crucial one, given the home’s history.

"I believe any time a original family, and a stewardship like this, is changing ownership of a residence like this, it always causes a little bit of a pause – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And can they comprehend and cherish the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"