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

This suspended residence, situated in the Hollywood Hills, was listed on the market this past week. The listing price stands at an impressive $25 million.

Owners Choice to Sell

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the property for its entire 65-year history, shared a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the dwelling had become increasingly challenging to upkeep.

"This residence has been the heart of our lives for many years, but as we’ve grown older, it has become increasingly challenging to care for it with the dedication and effort it so richly deserves," commented the children of the first owners.

They continued that the period had come to find a new "steward" for the house – "someone who not only values its design legacy but also understands its place in the cultural history of the city and elsewhere."

Modest Inception

The inception of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the original owners purchased a sloped parcel of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a famous 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 architectural masterpiece."

Construction Challenge

The initial design for the Stahl house was developed during the summer of 1956. However, many builders were at first reluctant to erect it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls met with architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to accept the challenge. With assistance from the influential Case Study program, pioneered by a key magazine editor, the Stahls received subsidies to commission Koenig.

The progressive program "was about experimentation" and "employing new resources and building in sites that maybe before the engineering didn’t really enable," stated an authority from a city heritage organization. "All these elements are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, modern and inconceivable in terms of how it was built on that plot that everyone else thought, at the time, was impossible to build."

Realization and Famous Legacy

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and work commenced in May 1959. According to the owners, construction amounted to "just $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The final product was "the ultimate vision of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the specialist commented.

Soon after the build ended, a celebrated architectural photographer shot what is possibly the most iconic photograph of the home. Shot through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the image features two women positioned in the home’s living room but appearing to levitate over the city skyline.

"In my opinion the lasting influence of that image is due to the way it expresses an notion about living in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both in the city and detached from it," stated a head of an architectural firm and adjunct professor at a leading university.

Cultural Status

The home has had notable cameos in movies, TV and videos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city designated the Stahl house a protected monument, and in 2013, the house was added as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next Custodianship

The home remains open for public viewings, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all slots are currently sold out through February. In their release announcing the sale, the family stated they would give "plenty of advance notice" before discontinuing the tours.

The sales details for the home highlights finding a buyer who will maintain the spirit of the space.

"For enthusiasts of design, patrons of building, or organizations seeking to safeguard an iconic work, there is simply no parallel," the description say. "This is more than a transaction; it is a passing of responsibility – a hunt for the next steward who will celebrate the house’s history, value its original vision, and guarantee its preservation for future generations."

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

"In my view any time a longtime owner, and a custodianship like this, is being sold of a home like this, it always creates a little bit of a pause – because you never know what the next owner, what their plans will be. And will they comprehend and value the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"