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The famous Stahl house, a epitome of midcentury modern design, is now available for the first time in its complete history.

This suspended residence, nestled in the Hollywood Hills area, hit the listings this past week. The price tag stands at a notable $25 million.

Owners Choice to Sell

The Stahl family, who have held title to the home for its full 65-year existence, shared a statement regarding their decision to sell. They stated that the dwelling had grown excessively demanding to upkeep.

"This home has been the heart of our lives for many years, but as we’ve grown older, it has become more difficult to look after it with the care and energy it so richly deserves," stated the offspring of the original owners.

They continued that the period had arrived to find a new "steward" for the house – "someone who not only appreciates its architectural significance but also grasps its place in the cultural fabric of LA and further afield."

Unassuming Origins

The beginnings of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the original owners purchased a mountainous parcel of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a renowned icon of the city, the family often emphasized that "no celebrities ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a white-collar house."

Design Undertaking

The original design for the Stahl house was developed during the warm season of 1956. However, many builders were initially hesitant to construct it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the owners met with architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to take on the project. With backing from the influential Case Study program, spearheaded by a prominent magazine editor, the owners received subsidies to hire Koenig.

The modernist program "centered around experimentation" and "employing new resources and erecting in places that maybe before the technology didn’t really permit," commented an expert from a city conservancy. "Each of these factors are combined into a property like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, contemporary and unimaginable in terms of how it was constructed on that plot that everyone else thought, at the time, was impossible to build."

Realization and Iconic Influence

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and building started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction cost "only $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The final product was "an idealized version of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the authority noted.

Soon after the build ended, a renowned architectural photographer captured what is perhaps the most famous photograph of the home. Captured through the enormous glass windows, the photo features two women positioned in the home’s living room but appearing to levitate over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I believe the lasting influence of this image is due to the way it conveys an notion about living in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both in the city and detached from it," commented a founder of an architectural firm and lecturer at a prominent university.

Cultural Status

The home has enjoyed memorable appearances in film, TV and music videos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Coming Stewardship

The home continues to be open for public viewings, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all appointments are currently fully booked through February. In their release concerning the sale, the family said they would give "ample notice" before stopping the tours.

The listing for the home emphasizes finding a purchaser who will preserve the essence of the space.

"For enthusiasts of style, supporters of architecture, or entities seeking to safeguard an national treasure, there is simply no parallel," the description state. "This is more than a purchase; it is a passing of responsibility – a hunt for the next guardian who will honor the house’s legacy, appreciate its design integrity, and secure its preservation for posterity."

The expert concurred that the selection of new owner would be a crucial one, given the home’s past.

"I think any time a original family, and a stewardship like this, is changing ownership of a residence like this, it always causes a little bit of a concern – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their plans will be. And can they comprehend and cherish the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"