🔗 Share this article

The famous Stahl house, a quintessential example of midcentury modern design, is currently listed for the initial occasion in its whole history.

This cantilevered home, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, was listed on the listings this past week. The listing price stands at a notable $25 million.

Stewards Choice to Sell

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the property for its full 65-year history, released a statement regarding their choice to sell. They expressed that the dwelling had become increasingly challenging to maintain.

"This home has been the core of our lives for many years, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become progressively harder to maintain it with the dedication and effort it so truly merits," wrote the children of the initial owners.

They further stated that the period had arrived to find a new "guardian" for the house – "someone who not only values its architectural importance but also comprehends its position in the cultural history of Los Angeles and elsewhere."

Unassuming Beginnings

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

Despite the Stahl house becoming a well-known representation of the city, the family often pointed out that "no celebrities ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "working-class family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Construction Challenge

The first design for the Stahl house was created during the summer of 1956. However, many designers were originally wary to construct it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the family met with architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to undertake the task. With backing from the influential Case Study program, spearheaded by a key magazine editor, the Stahls received support to hire Koenig.

The modernist program "centered around trial and error" and "employing new resources and erecting in locations that maybe previously the engineering didn’t really permit," remarked an expert from a city heritage organization. "Each of these factors are integrated into a site like the Stahl house, which was innovative, contemporary and unthinkable in terms of how it was erected on that location that everyone else considered, at the time, was unbuildable."

Finalization and Iconic Legacy

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and work began in May 1959. According to the residents, construction amounted to "just $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The outcome was "a perfect representation of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the authority commented.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer took what is arguably the most famous picture of the home. Captured through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the image depicts two women positioned in the home’s living room but seeming to levitate over the LA skyline.

"I think the enduring effect of this photo is due to the way it communicates an concept about dwelling in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both metropolitan and detached from it," stated a founder of an architectural practice and adjunct professor at a major university.

Cultural Designation

The home has made historic cameos in film, TV and music videos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Next Ownership

The home remains open for public viewings, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all tours are currently reserved through February. In their release concerning the sale, the family indicated they would give "ample notice" before ending the tours.

The sales details for the home stresses finding a new owner who will conserve the spirit of the space.

"For enthusiasts of architecture, advocates of building, or organizations seeking to safeguard an American masterpiece, there is simply no equal," the description read. "This is more than a transaction; it is a passing of responsibility – a quest for the next steward who will respect the house’s history, value its original vision, and ensure its conservation for future generations."

The expert concurred that the selection of purchaser would be a crucial one, given the home’s legacy.

"In my view any time a long-term steward, and a guardianship like this, is being sold of a residence like this, it always gives us a little bit of a pause – because you never know what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And can they understand and cherish the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"