The famous Stahl house, a epitome of mid-century modern architectural design, is now available for the very first time in its entire history.
This cantilevered home, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, was listed on the market this past week. The asking price stands at a substantial $25 million.
The Stahl family, who have held title to the home for its entire 65-year existence, shared a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the dwelling had become excessively demanding to upkeep.
"This residence has been the heart of our lives for many years, but as we’ve aged, it has become more difficult to care for it with the dedication and energy it so truly merits," commented the children of the original owners.
They continued that the moment had emerged to find a new "steward" for the house – "someone who not only values its architectural significance but also comprehends its place in the cultural fabric of the city and elsewhere."
The beginnings of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the first owners bought a mountainous plot of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.
Despite the Stahl house evolving into a renowned icon of the city, the family often pointed out that "no famous individuals ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "average family living in a white-collar house."
The first design for the Stahl house was developed during the warm season of 1956. However, many designers were originally hesitant to erect it on the precarious hillside.
In November 1957, the family interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to accept the challenge. With support from the prominent Case Study program, pioneered by a key magazine editor, the Stahls received subsidies to commission Koenig.
The contemporary program "focused on innovation" and "utilizing new resources and building in locations that maybe earlier the technology didn’t really allow," remarked an authority from a local heritage organization. "All those things are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and inconceivable in terms of how it was erected on that plot that everyone else considered, at the time, was unbuildable."
The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and construction commenced in May 1959. According to the residents, construction cost "just $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The outcome was "the ultimate vision of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the authority commented.
Soon after construction was finished, a famous architectural photographer took what is arguably the most well-known photograph of the home. Shot through the full-length glass windows, the image features two women seated in the home’s living room but looking to hover over the Los Angeles skyline.
"I think the long-standing effect of this photograph is due to the way it communicates an concept about living in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both urban and separate from it," commented a founder of an architectural practice and educator at a major university.
The home has made historic appearances in film, broadcast and music videos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.
In 1999, the city declared the Stahl house a historic-cultural landmark, and in 2013, the house was included as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.
The home is still open for public viewings, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all slots are currently fully booked through February. In their announcement regarding the sale, the family said they would give "sufficient warning" before discontinuing the tours.
The property description for the home stresses finding a buyer who will maintain the spirit of the space.
"For collectors of style, advocates of architecture, or institutions seeking to preserve an national treasure, there is simply nothing comparable," the description say. "This is not merely a sale; it is a handover of custody – a quest for the next guardian who will celebrate the house’s history, appreciate its architectural purity, and guarantee its protection for generations to come."
The specialist affirmed that the choice of buyer would be a vital one, given the home’s history.
"I think any time a original family, and a guardianship like this, is changing ownership of a property like this, it always gives us a little bit of a pause – because you never know what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And can they understand and cherish the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"
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