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The famous Stahl house, a paragon of mid-century modern architectural design, is up for sale for the very first time in its entire history.

This suspended dwelling, nestled in the Hollywood Hills area, was listed on the real estate market this recent week. The listing price stands at a notable $25 million.

Stewards Choice to Part With

The Stahl family, who have held title to the residence for its complete 65-year timeline, released a announcement regarding their resolution to sell. They expressed that the property had become excessively demanding to maintain.

"This home has been the center of our lives for many years, but as we’ve grown older, it has become increasingly challenging to maintain it with the attention and effort it so truly merits," wrote the descendants of the first owners.

They continued that the time had come to find a new "custodian" for the house – "someone who not only values its architectural significance but also grasps its role in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and beyond."

Humble Beginnings

The beginnings of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the initial owners bought a mountainous plot of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a renowned icon of the city, the family often emphasized that "nobody famous ever lived here," describing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a white-collar house."

Architectural Challenge

The first design for the Stahl house was created during the warm season of 1956. However, many builders were initially reluctant to erect it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the owners consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to accept the challenge. With backing from the notable Case Study program, spearheaded by a prominent magazine editor, the Stahls received subsidies to hire Koenig.

The modernist program "centered around experimentation" and "employing new resources and building in locations that maybe before the engineering didn’t really permit," commented an specialist from a regional preservation society. "All these elements are wrapped up into a property like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, modern and unthinkable in terms of how it was constructed on that site that everyone else considered, at the time, was impossible to build."

Realization and Famous Legacy

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and building began in May 1959. According to the residents, construction cost "only $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The final product was "an idealized version of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after the build ended, a famous architectural photographer took what is possibly the most iconic photograph of the home. Captured through the enormous glass windows, the image shows two women seated in the home’s living room but looking to hover over the Los Angeles skyline.

"In my opinion the long-standing effect of the image is due to the way it expresses an idea about living in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both metropolitan and removed from it," commented a founder of an architectural company and educator at a leading university.

Historic Designation

The home has enjoyed historic cameos in movies, TV and music videos, including several popular 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.

Next Custodianship

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

The sales details for the home stresses finding a buyer who will conserve the essence of the space.

"For connoisseurs of architecture, advocates of architecture, or entities seeking to preserve an national treasure, there is simply no parallel," the description state. "This is more than a sale; it is a handover of custody – a quest for the next custodian who will honor the house’s legacy, appreciate its design integrity, and guarantee its conservation for future generations."

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

"In my view any time a original family, and a stewardship like this, is changing ownership of a residence like this, it always gives us a little bit of a pause – because you never know what the next owner, what their aims will be. And do they comprehend and value the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"