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

This cantilevered home, perched in the Hollywood Hills, hit the listings 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 residence for its complete 65-year history, issued a declaration regarding their choice to sell. They expressed that the property had proven excessively demanding to care for.

"This home has been the core of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become progressively harder to care for it with the dedication and vigor it so rightfully warrants," wrote the descendants of the first owners.

They added that the moment had arrived to find a new "guardian" for the house – "someone who not only values its design legacy but also grasps its place in the cultural history of Los Angeles and elsewhere."

Unassuming Inception

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

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a famous representation of the city, the residents often pointed out that "nobody famous ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a luxury house."

Construction Undertaking

The first design for the Stahl house was conceived during the warm season of 1956. However, many architects were originally hesitant to erect it on the difficult hillside.

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

The contemporary program "centered around trial and error" and "utilizing new resources and constructing in sites that maybe previously the techniques didn’t really allow," remarked an specialist from a local preservation society. "Each of these factors are wrapped up into a property like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, contemporary and unimaginable in terms of how it was built on that site that everyone else considered, at the time, was impossible to build."

Completion and Famous Influence

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and building commenced 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 envisions LA is and should be," the expert added.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer captured what is possibly the most famous image of the home. Captured through the full-length glass windows, the photo depicts two women positioned in the home’s living room but appearing to hover over the LA skyline.

"I think the long-standing influence of the image is due to the way it communicates an concept about residing in Los Angeles, an duality about being both urban and separate from it," stated a principal of an architectural practice and lecturer at a major university.

Protected Status

The home has enjoyed memorable features in movies, television and music videos, including several popular 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 protected property 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 tours are currently fully booked through February. In their release regarding the sale, the family said they would give "plenty of advance notice" before ending the tours.

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

"For collectors of design, patrons of building, or organizations seeking to preserve an American masterpiece, there is simply nothing comparable," the details state. "This is more than a sale; it is a transfer of stewardship – a hunt for the next guardian who will respect the house’s legacy, respect its design integrity, and guarantee its protection for generations to come."

The expert agreed that the choice of new owner would be a critical one, given the home’s history.

"In my view any time a longtime owner, and a custodianship like this, is being sold of a property like this, it always causes a little bit of a hesitation – because you never know what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And do they comprehend and appreciate the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"