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The famous Stahl house, a paragon of modernist design, is now available for the very first time in its entire history.

This suspended home, perched in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, was listed on the listings this week. The price tag stands at an impressive $25 million.

Owners Choice to Sell

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the residence for its full 65-year history, issued a statement regarding their choice to sell. They noted that the house had become increasingly challenging to upkeep.

"This home has been the center of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve grown older, it has become progressively harder to maintain it with the dedication and energy it so richly deserves," wrote the offspring of the original owners.

They added that the period had emerged to find a new "steward" for the house – "a person who not only values its architectural significance but also understands its place in the cultural history of LA and elsewhere."

Humble Inception

The inception of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the original owners acquired a sloped patch of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a renowned representation of the city, the owners often stressed that "no famous individuals ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "average family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Construction Feat

The original design for the Stahl house was created during the summer months of 1956. However, many builders were at first hesitant to erect it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the owners met with architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to undertake the challenge. With backing from the prominent Case Study program, led by a prominent magazine editor, the owners received support to hire Koenig.

The contemporary program "focused on trial and error" and "utilizing new building materials and erecting in locations that maybe earlier the engineering didn’t really permit," stated an specialist from a regional preservation society. "All those things are wrapped up into a site like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, modern and unimaginable in terms of how it was constructed on that plot that everyone else believed, at the time, was unbuildable."

Completion and Famous Legacy

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and construction commenced in May 1959. According to the family, construction totaled "just $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The final product was "a perfect representation of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the authority commented.

Soon after the build ended, a famous architectural photographer captured what is arguably the most well-known picture of the home. Taken through the enormous glass windows, the photo depicts two women seated in the home’s living room but seeming to hover over the Los Angeles skyline.

"In my opinion the long-standing effect of this photograph is due to the way it conveys an notion about residing in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both metropolitan and removed from it," commented a principal of an architectural company and adjunct professor at a leading university.

Protected Status

The home has made notable appearances in film, TV and videos, including several well-known titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Coming Custodianship

The home remains open for tours, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all tours are currently reserved through February. In their announcement regarding the sale, the family stated they would give "ample notice" before stopping the tours.

The property description for the home emphasizes finding a purchaser who will preserve the spirit of the space.

"For enthusiasts of architecture, supporters of architecture, or organizations seeking to safeguard an iconic work, there is simply no equal," the details read. "This is more than a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a hunt for the next custodian who will honor the house’s legacy, value its original vision, and guarantee its preservation for posterity."

The specialist affirmed that the selection of purchaser would be a vital one, given the home’s legacy.

"I believe any time a original family, and a stewardship like this, is being sold of a home like this, it always causes a little bit of a pause – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their plans will be. And will they comprehend and value the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"