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The celebrated Stahl house, a paragon of mid-century modern design, is currently listed for the very first time in its entire history.

This suspended home, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, hit the market this recent week. The asking price stands at a notable $25 million.

Family Choice to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have held title to the residence for its entire 65-year timeline, released a statement regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the property had grown too difficult to upkeep.

"This house has been the core of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve grown older, it has become progressively harder to maintain it with the attention and effort it so richly deserves," stated the children of the original owners.

They added that the time had come to find a new "custodian" for the house – "an individual who not only values its architectural significance but also understands its position in the cultural fabric of LA and further afield."

Unassuming Origins

The beginnings of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the initial owners acquired a hilly patch of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a well-known representation of the city, the residents often pointed out that "no famous individuals ever lived here," describing themselves as a "working-class family living in a luxury house."

Construction Challenge

The original design for the Stahl house was conceived during the warm season of 1956. However, many builders were initially reluctant to construct it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the owners met with architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to accept the challenge. With assistance from the notable Case Study program, pioneered by a prominent magazine editor, the Stahls received support to commission Koenig.

The modernist program "was about experimentation" and "utilizing new materials and erecting in sites that maybe before the technology didn’t really enable," remarked an expert from a city conservancy. "All these elements are combined into a property like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, modern and inconceivable in terms of how it was built on that plot that everyone else considered, at the time, was impossible to build."

Realization and Cultural Influence

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and work started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction amounted to "only $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The result was "an idealized version of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the expert noted.

Soon after the build ended, a famous architectural photographer captured what is arguably the most well-known picture of the home. Taken through the enormous glass windows, the photograph shows two women sitting in the home’s living room but appearing to hover over the Los Angeles skyline.

"In my opinion the enduring impact of this image is due to the way it expresses an concept about residing in Los Angeles, an duality about being both metropolitan and detached from it," said a principal of an architectural company and adjunct professor at a major university.

Historic Recognition

The home has enjoyed memorable features in film, TV and promos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city declared the Stahl house a protected monument, and in 2013, the house was listed as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Stewardship

The home continues to be open for visits, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all appointments are currently fully booked through February. In their statement regarding the sale, the family stated they would give "ample notice" before stopping the tours.

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

"For connoisseurs of architecture, advocates of design, or entities seeking to protect an iconic work, there is simply nothing comparable," the details read. "This goes beyond a purchase; it is a handover of custody – a hunt for the next guardian who will celebrate the house’s history, value its original vision, and guarantee its protection for generations to come."

The specialist concurred that the selection of purchaser would be a critical one, given the home’s past.

"I think any time a long-term steward, and a custodianship like this, is being sold of a property like this, it always causes a little bit of a pause – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their plans will be. And do they comprehend and appreciate the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"