🔗 Share this article An Iconic Mid-Century Contemporary Gem Reaches the Real Estate Market for the First Time The celebrated Stahl house, a paragon of mid-century modern architecture, is now available for the very first time in its whole history. This overhanging residence, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, hit the real estate market this past week. The asking price stands at an impressive $25 million. Owners Choice to Part With The Stahl family, who have held title to the property for its full 65-year existence, shared a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They expressed that the dwelling had proven too difficult to maintain. "This home has been the center of our lives for many years, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become progressively harder to look after it with the attention and energy it so rightfully warrants," commented the descendants 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 values its design legacy but also understands its position in the cultural landscape of LA and beyond." Modest Beginnings The origins of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the initial owners purchased a mountainous parcel of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500. Despite the Stahl house becoming a famous representation of the city, the residents often pointed out that "no famous individuals ever lived here," describing themselves as a "working-class family living in a white-collar house." Construction Undertaking The first design for the Stahl house was created during the summer of 1956. However, many architects were initially reluctant to erect it on the precarious hillside. In November 1957, the owners met with architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to take on the project. With assistance from the notable Case Study program, led by a key magazine editor, the owners received subsidies to commission Koenig. The modernist program "was about experimentation" and "utilizing new resources and constructing in sites that maybe earlier the engineering didn’t really permit," remarked an authority from a regional conservancy. "All those things are wrapped up into a place like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, modern and inconceivable in terms of how it was constructed on that site that everyone else considered, at the time, was not feasible." Realization and Cultural Legacy The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and work began in May 1959. According to the residents, construction cost "just $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The outcome was "a perfect representation of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the expert commented. Soon after completion, a renowned architectural photographer shot what is possibly the most famous photograph of the home. Taken through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photograph shows two women seated in the home’s living room but seeming to levitate over the Los Angeles skyline. "In my opinion the long-standing impact of this photograph is due to the way it expresses an idea about dwelling in Los Angeles, an duality about being both metropolitan and separate from it," stated a head of an architectural firm and lecturer at a leading university. Historic Designation The home has made notable cameos in film, TV and 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 listed as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places. Next Ownership The home continues to be open for visits, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all appointments are currently sold out through February. In their release announcing the sale, the family said they would give "plenty of advance notice" before stopping the tours. The property description for the home highlights finding a new owner who will maintain the spirit of the space. "For collectors of design, advocates of architecture, or entities seeking to safeguard an iconic work, there is simply no equal," the details say. "This is more than a sale; it is a handover of custody – a hunt for the next custodian who will respect the house’s history, value its architectural purity, and ensure its preservation for generations to come." The specialist concurred that the selection of buyer would be a vital one, given the home’s legacy. "In my view any time a long-term steward, and a guardianship like this, is changing ownership of a residence like this, it always creates a little bit of a hesitation – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their plans will be. And will they understand and cherish the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"