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The famous Stahl house, a paragon of modernist architecture, is now available for the very first time in its complete history.

This cantilevered dwelling, nestled in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, was listed on the market this week. The listing price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Stewards Move to Part With

The Stahl family, who have owned the residence for its full 65-year history, released a declaration regarding their resolution to sell. They noted that the house had proven increasingly challenging to maintain.

"This house has been the heart of our lives for decades, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become progressively harder to maintain it with the care and vigor it so rightfully warrants," stated the descendants of the initial owners.

They further stated that the period had emerged to find a new "steward" for the house – "a person who not only appreciates its architectural significance but also grasps its role in the cultural history of the city and further afield."

Unassuming Inception

The beginnings of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the first owners acquired a mountainous parcel of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a renowned representation of the city, the family often stressed that "no celebrities ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a white-collar house."

Design Undertaking

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

In November 1957, the Stahls consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to undertake the challenge. With support from the influential Case Study program, pioneered by a prominent magazine editor, the owners received support to hire Koenig.

The progressive program "was about trial and error" and "using new materials and erecting in locations that maybe before the technology didn’t really enable," stated an expert from a regional conservancy. "All those things are combined into a place like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, contemporary and unthinkable in terms of how it was constructed on that location that everyone else thought, at the time, was not feasible."

Completion and Famous Legacy

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and construction started in May 1959. According to the owners, 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 envisions LA is and should be," the expert commented.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer captured what is possibly the most famous picture of the home. Taken through the enormous glass windows, the image shows two women sitting in the home’s living room but looking to float over the LA skyline.

"In my opinion the enduring effect of this photo is due to the way it expresses an notion about living in Los Angeles, an duality about being both urban and detached from it," commented a principal of an architectural firm and adjunct professor at a prominent university.

Cultural Recognition

The home has made notable cameos in cinema, TV and promos, including several popular 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 listed as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next Custodianship

The home continues to be open for public viewings, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all slots are currently sold out through February. In their announcement concerning the sale, the family indicated they would give "ample notice" before stopping the tours.

The sales details for the home stresses finding a buyer who will maintain the character of the space.

"For connoisseurs of architecture, advocates of design, or institutions seeking to protect an iconic work, there is simply nothing comparable," the description read. "This goes beyond a transaction; it is a passing of responsibility – a hunt for the next custodian who will celebrate the house’s legacy, respect its original vision, and secure its protection for posterity."

The authority concurred that the decision of new owner would be a critical one, given the home’s legacy.

"I think any time a original family, and a stewardship like this, is transferring hands of a residence like this, it always causes a little bit of a hesitation – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And will they comprehend and value the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"