A Fabled Mid-Century Contemporary Masterpiece Reaches the Market for the Very First Time
The famous Stahl house, a quintessential example of modernist architectural design, is now available for the very first time in its complete history.
This overhanging residence, nestled in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, appeared on the listings this week. The listing price stands at an impressive $25 million.
Owners Decision to Sell
The Stahl family, who have held title to the home for its full 65-year existence, released a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the property had grown too difficult to maintain.
"This home has been the center of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become progressively harder to care for it with the care and effort it so truly merits," commented the children of the first owners.
They further stated that the period had arrived to find a new "steward" for the house – "someone who not only values its design legacy but also understands its role in the cultural fabric of LA and further afield."
Humble Inception
The beginnings of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the original owners acquired a sloped patch of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.
Despite the Stahl house evolving into a renowned icon of the city, the family often emphasized that "no famous individuals ever lived here," describing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a white-collar house."
Design Feat
The initial design for the Stahl house was conceived during the warm season of 1956. However, many builders were initially hesitant to construct it on the challenging hillside.
In November 1957, the owners consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to take on the task. With backing from the notable Case Study program, pioneered by a leading magazine editor, the family received support to commission Koenig.
The contemporary program "centered around innovation" and "utilizing new building materials and erecting in places that maybe before the engineering didn’t really allow," remarked an expert from a regional preservation society. "Each of these factors are wrapped up into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, modern and inconceivable in terms of how it was built on that site that everyone else believed, at the time, was impossible to build."
Realization and Famous Influence
The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and building started in May 1959. According to the residents, construction amounted to "just $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The result was "a perfect representation of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the specialist noted.
Soon after the build ended, a renowned architectural photographer shot what is arguably the most well-known photograph of the home. Captured through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photograph shows two women positioned in the home’s living room but appearing to float over the Los Angeles skyline.
"I think the enduring effect of this image is due to the way it conveys an notion about residing in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both in the city and removed from it," stated a principal of an architectural firm and lecturer at a major university.
Cultural Status
The home has made notable cameos in cinema, broadcast and promos, including several well-known titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.
In 1999, the city designated the Stahl house a heritage site, and in 2013, the house was added as a preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.
Coming Ownership
The home continues to be open for tours, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all tours are currently reserved through February. In their announcement announcing the sale, the family said they would give "ample notice" before discontinuing the tours.
The listing for the home emphasizes finding a new owner who will maintain the character of the space.
"For collectors of architecture, supporters of architecture, or institutions seeking to protect an national treasure, there is simply no parallel," the description say. "This goes beyond a purchase; it is a handover of custody – a quest for the next steward who will celebrate the house’s history, value its design integrity, and secure its conservation for future generations."
The authority concurred that the selection of purchaser would be a vital one, given the home’s past.
"I think any time a original family, and a custodianship like this, is transferring hands of a residence like this, it always creates a little bit of a hesitation – because you never know what the next owner, what their plans will be. And can they understand and value the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"
