🔗 Share this article

The renowned Stahl house, a epitome of mid-century modern architectural design, is now available for the first time in its whole history.

This suspended residence, nestled in the Hollywood Hills area, was listed on the listings this past week. The asking price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Stewards Move to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have owned the residence for its full 65-year existence, shared a announcement regarding their choice to sell. They noted that the property had proven increasingly challenging to care for.

"This residence has been the core of our lives for decades, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become increasingly challenging to maintain it with the attention and vigor it so richly deserves," commented the children of the initial owners.

They further stated that the time had come to find a new "guardian" for the house – "a person who not only recognizes its architectural significance but also comprehends its place in the cultural fabric of Los Angeles and elsewhere."

Modest Beginnings

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

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a well-known representation of the city, the residents often emphasized that "nobody famous ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "average family living in a luxury house."

Design Challenge

The initial design for the Stahl house was conceived during the summer months of 1956. However, many architects were originally wary to build it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the owners interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to accept the project. With support from the prominent Case Study program, spearheaded by a prominent magazine editor, the owners received support to engage Koenig.

The progressive program "was about trial and error" and "employing new materials and erecting in locations that maybe before the technology didn’t really allow," stated an authority from a regional conservancy. "All these elements are wrapped up into a place like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, modern and unthinkable in terms of how it was erected on that location that everyone else considered, at the time, was unbuildable."

Finalization and Iconic Impact

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and work commenced in May 1959. According to the residents, construction totaled "a mere $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The outcome was "an idealized version of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the expert noted.

Soon after construction was finished, a celebrated architectural photographer captured what is perhaps the most iconic image of the home. Shot through the full-length glass windows, the photograph features two women seated in the home’s living room but appearing to hover over the city skyline.

"I believe the enduring impact of that photo is due to the way it expresses an concept about living in Los Angeles, an duality about being both in the city and detached from it," commented a head of an architectural practice and adjunct professor at a major university.

Historic Recognition

The home has had memorable cameos in cinema, TV and videos, including several famous 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 included as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Stewardship

The home is still open for tours, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all appointments are currently sold out through February. In their release regarding the sale, the family said they would give "ample notice" before ending the tours.

The property description for the home highlights finding a purchaser who will maintain the essence of the space.

"For connoisseurs of architecture, patrons of architecture, or entities seeking to safeguard an national treasure, there is simply no equal," the description read. "This goes beyond a purchase; it is a passing of responsibility – a hunt for the next guardian who will respect the house’s history, respect its architectural purity, and secure its protection for posterity."

The expert concurred that the decision of purchaser would be a crucial one, given the home’s history.

"In my view any time a long-term steward, and a guardianship like this, is being sold of a property 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 will they grasp and value the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"