🔗 Share this article

The celebrated Stahl house, a epitome of midcentury modern architecture, is now available for the first time in its entire history.

This cantilevered home, situated in the Hollywood Hills, appeared on the listings this week. The listing price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Stewards Decision to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have owned the property for its full 65-year existence, shared a statement regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the property had proven increasingly challenging to care for.

"This home has been the core of our lives for many years, but as we’ve aged, it has become increasingly challenging to look after it with the care and effort it so richly deserves," wrote the children of the initial owners.

They further stated that the period had arrived to find a new "custodian" for the house – "an individual who not only values its architectural importance but also grasps its role in the cultural landscape of the city and further afield."

Modest Beginnings

The beginnings of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the original owners bought a sloped plot of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a well-known representation of the city, the owners often pointed out that "nobody famous ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "working-class family living in a luxury house."

Design Undertaking

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

In November 1957, the Stahls met with architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to undertake the project. With assistance from the prominent Case Study program, pioneered by a key magazine editor, the owners received financial aid to commission Koenig.

The contemporary program "was about experimentation" and "using new materials and constructing in places that maybe before the engineering didn’t really permit," remarked an specialist from a regional preservation society. "All these elements are wrapped up into a site like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, contemporary and unimaginable in terms of how it was built on that plot that everyone else believed, at the time, was not feasible."

Realization and Famous Legacy

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and construction commenced in May 1959. According to the owners, construction amounted to "a mere $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The result was "the ultimate vision of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the expert added.

Soon after the build ended, a renowned architectural photographer captured what is arguably the most famous photograph of the home. Captured through the enormous glass windows, the photograph shows two women seated in the home’s living room but appearing to hover over the city skyline.

"I think the enduring impact of that photograph is due to the way it conveys an idea about living in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both in the city and removed from it," stated a founder of an architectural practice and lecturer at a major university.

Historic Recognition

The home has had historic cameos in movies, TV and music videos, including several well-known titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city designated the Stahl house a historic-cultural landmark, and in 2013, the house was added as a preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Ownership

The home remains open for tours, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all slots are currently reserved through February. In their announcement announcing the sale, the family stated they would give "sufficient warning" before stopping the tours.

The sales details for the home stresses finding a purchaser who will conserve the essence of the space.

"For enthusiasts of style, supporters of building, or entities seeking to protect an national treasure, there is simply nothing comparable," the details say. "This is more than a purchase; it is a passing of responsibility – a hunt for the next steward who will honor the house’s history, value its original vision, and secure its protection for generations to come."

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

"I believe any time a long-term steward, and a custodianship like this, is being sold 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 understand and value the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"