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The famous Stahl house, a epitome of mid-century modern architectural design, is now available for the initial occasion in its whole history.

This overhanging home, perched in the Hollywood Hills area, appeared on the listings this week. The price tag stands at an impressive $25 million.

Family Choice to Sell

The Stahl family, who have held title to the property for its complete 65-year history, issued a statement regarding their decision to sell. They expressed that the property had grown too difficult to maintain.

"This home has been the core of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve aged, it has become more difficult to care for it with the attention and vigor it so richly deserves," commented the children of the first owners.

They added that the time had come to find a new "custodian" for the house – "someone who not only recognizes its architectural significance but also grasps its role in the cultural history of the city and elsewhere."

Unassuming Beginnings

The inception of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the initial owners purchased a hilly parcel of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a famous icon of the city, the residents often stressed that "no celebrities ever lived here," describing themselves as a "average family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Architectural Challenge

The original design for the Stahl house was created during the summer months of 1956. However, many designers were at first reluctant to construct it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the family consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to take on the project. With support from the notable Case Study program, led by a key magazine editor, the owners received financial aid to hire Koenig.

The contemporary program "centered around trial and error" and "employing new materials and erecting in sites that maybe earlier the technology didn’t really enable," commented an authority from a regional preservation society. "All those things are combined into a property like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, progressive and inconceivable in terms of how it was constructed on that location that everyone else believed, at the time, was impossible to build."

Finalization and Iconic Influence

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and work began in May 1959. According to the residents, construction cost "a mere $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The final product was "an idealized version of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the authority added.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer shot what is arguably the most well-known picture of the home. Taken through the full-length glass windows, the photo features two women positioned in the home’s living room but appearing to float over the city skyline.

"I think the long-standing effect of that image is due to the way it communicates an idea about living in Los Angeles, an duality about being both in the city and separate from it," stated a head of an architectural firm and adjunct professor at a leading university.

Protected Status

The home has made notable cameos in movies, broadcast and promos, including several popular 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 protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next Stewardship

The home is still open for tours, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all slots are currently sold out through February. In their statement concerning the sale, the family said they would give "ample notice" before discontinuing the tours.

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

"For collectors of design, supporters of architecture, or organizations seeking to safeguard an iconic work, there is simply no equal," the listing read. "This is not merely a purchase; it is a handover of custody – a search for the next custodian who will celebrate the house’s legacy, respect its architectural purity, and secure its protection for posterity."

The authority agreed that the choice of buyer would be a vital one, given the home’s legacy.

"I believe any time a original family, and a guardianship like this, is changing ownership of a home like this, it always gives us a little bit of a hesitation – because you never know what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And will they grasp and cherish the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"