🔗 Share this article

The renowned Stahl house, a quintessential example of midcentury modern architecture, is up for sale for the very first time in its whole history.

This suspended residence, situated in the Hollywood Hills area, appeared on the real estate market this week. The price tag stands at a notable $25 million.

Owners Move to Part With

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the property for its entire 65-year history, issued a statement regarding their resolution to sell. They expressed that the dwelling had become too difficult to upkeep.

"This home has been the core of our lives for decades, but as we’ve grown older, it has become more difficult to care for it with the dedication and energy it so rightfully warrants," commented the offspring of the first owners.

They added that the period had come to find a new "custodian" for the house – "an individual who not only recognizes its architectural significance but also comprehends its place in the cultural landscape of LA and elsewhere."

Modest Beginnings

The inception of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the first owners purchased a hilly plot of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a well-known symbol of the city, the family often emphasized that "no celebrities ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "working-class family living in a luxury house."

Architectural Undertaking

The initial design for the Stahl house was conceived during the warm season of 1956. However, many designers were initially wary to erect it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the owners met with architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to take on the project. With backing from the influential Case Study program, led by a leading magazine editor, the Stahls received financial aid to engage Koenig.

The progressive program "centered around innovation" and "employing new building materials and constructing in locations that maybe before the technology didn’t really permit," commented an specialist from a regional heritage organization. "Each of these factors are combined into a place like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and inconceivable in terms of how it was erected on that site that everyone else thought, at the time, was unbuildable."

Finalization and Cultural Influence

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and work started in May 1959. According to the family, construction cost "a mere $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The result was "an idealized version of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the expert commented.

Soon after construction was finished, a famous architectural photographer shot what is perhaps the most famous picture of the home. Taken through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photo depicts two women seated in the home’s living room but looking to levitate over the LA skyline.

"I think the enduring influence of this image is due to the way it communicates an idea about residing in Los Angeles, an duality about being both in the city and separate from it," commented a founder of an architectural practice and lecturer at a major university.

Historic Status

The home has made historic appearances in cinema, television and promos, 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 protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Ownership

The home is still open for public viewings, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all slots are currently fully booked through February. In their statement announcing the sale, the family said they would give "ample notice" before stopping the tours.

The sales details for the home stresses finding a purchaser who will preserve the essence of the space.

"For enthusiasts of architecture, advocates of building, or organizations seeking to protect an national treasure, there is simply no equal," the listing state. "This is more than a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a search for the next guardian who will honor the house’s history, respect its architectural purity, and secure its preservation for posterity."

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

"I think any time a original family, and a custodianship 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 do they comprehend and appreciate the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"