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

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

Stewards Choice to Part With

The Stahl family, who have held title to the home for its complete 65-year existence, issued a declaration regarding their resolution to sell. They noted that the dwelling had proven increasingly challenging to care for.

"This house has been the heart of our lives for decades, but as we’ve aged, it has become increasingly challenging to maintain it with the attention and energy it so richly deserves," wrote the children of the initial owners.

They added that the period had come to find a new "custodian" for the house – "someone who not only values its design legacy but also understands its place in the cultural fabric of the city and beyond."

Modest Beginnings

The beginnings of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the first owners bought a hilly parcel of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a renowned representation of the city, the family often stressed that "no famous individuals ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "average family living in a white-collar house."

Construction Challenge

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

In November 1957, the Stahls consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to undertake the project. With assistance from the influential Case Study program, led by a leading magazine editor, the family received subsidies to hire Koenig.

The modernist program "focused on experimentation" and "employing new materials and erecting in places that maybe previously the technology didn’t really allow," commented an expert from a regional preservation society. "All those things are integrated into a place like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, contemporary and unthinkable in terms of how it was erected on that plot that everyone else thought, at the time, was impossible to build."

Realization and Iconic Influence

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and building began in May 1959. According to the owners, construction amounted to "a mere $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The result was "an idealized version of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer shot what is perhaps the most famous image of the home. Taken through the full-length glass windows, the photograph shows two women sitting in the home’s living room but seeming to float over the LA skyline.

"In my opinion the enduring effect of that photo is due to the way it communicates an notion about residing in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both in the city and detached from it," commented a head of an architectural firm and educator at a prominent university.

Cultural Status

The home has made notable appearances in film, TV and promos, including several popular titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city recognized the Stahl house a heritage site, and in 2013, the house was added as a preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Custodianship

The home is still open for tours, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all slots are currently reserved through February. In their release concerning the sale, the family said they would give "sufficient warning" before discontinuing the tours.

The listing for the home stresses finding a buyer who will conserve the character of the space.

"For enthusiasts of design, patrons of architecture, or institutions seeking to protect an American masterpiece, there is simply no parallel," the description read. "This is more than a purchase; it is a handover of custody – a quest for the next guardian who will celebrate the house’s past, respect its design integrity, and ensure its preservation for future generations."

The authority concurred that the choice of purchaser would be a vital one, given the home’s legacy.

"I think any time a longtime owner, and a custodianship like this, is being sold of a property like this, it always causes a little bit of a concern – because you cannot predict 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?"