🔗 Share this article

The renowned Stahl house, a quintessential example of mid-century modern architectural design, is now available for the initial occasion in its entire history.

This suspended residence, perched in the Hollywood Hills, appeared on the listings this past week. The price tag stands at a notable $25 million.

Stewards Choice to Sell

The Stahl family, who have owned the home for its entire 65-year timeline, issued a announcement regarding their choice to sell. They noted that the house had proven increasingly challenging to upkeep.

"This home has been the center of our lives for many years, but as we’ve grown older, it has become increasingly challenging to look after it with the dedication and effort it so rightfully warrants," stated the children of the original owners.

They continued that the moment had emerged to find a new "guardian" for the house – "someone who not only appreciates its architectural importance but also understands its place in the cultural fabric of the city and elsewhere."

Humble Origins

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

Despite the Stahl house growing into a renowned representation of the city, the residents often pointed out that "no celebrities ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "average family living in a white-collar house."

Architectural Feat

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

In November 1957, the Stahls interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to accept the task. With support from the notable Case Study program, pioneered by a key magazine editor, the family received support to hire Koenig.

The progressive program "centered around innovation" and "employing new building materials and erecting in places that maybe earlier the techniques didn’t really enable," stated an expert from a city preservation society. "Each of these factors are combined into a site like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, modern and unimaginable in terms of how it was built on that plot that everyone else considered, at the time, was unbuildable."

Realization and Famous Impact

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and construction began in May 1959. According to the family, construction amounted to "just $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The outcome was "an idealized version of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the authority commented.

Soon after completion, a celebrated architectural photographer shot what is possibly the most well-known picture of the home. Shot through the enormous glass windows, the image depicts two women positioned in the home’s living room but seeming to hover over the city skyline.

"I believe the enduring influence of the image is due to the way it communicates an idea about dwelling in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both in the city and separate from it," said a principal of an architectural company and lecturer at a major university.

Protected Designation

The home has enjoyed memorable features in film, broadcast and promos, including several popular 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 listed as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next Ownership

The home continues to be open for tours, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all tours are currently sold out through February. In their release concerning the sale, the family indicated they would give "plenty of advance notice" before ending the tours.

The property description for the home highlights finding a purchaser who will conserve the spirit of the space.

"For collectors of design, patrons of architecture, or institutions seeking to safeguard an iconic work, there is simply no equal," the description state. "This is more than a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a hunt for the next steward who will celebrate the house’s past, respect its original vision, and guarantee its preservation for future generations."

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

"I believe any time a long-term steward, and a stewardship like this, is being sold of a home like this, it always creates a little bit of a hesitation – because you never know what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And can they grasp and value the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"