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The renowned Stahl house, a epitome of modernist architecture, is now available for the first time in its entire history.

This suspended home, perched in the Hollywood Hills, appeared on the real estate market this week. The price tag stands at a substantial $25 million.

Stewards Choice to Sell

The Stahl family, who have owned the residence for its entire 65-year history, released a announcement regarding their decision to sell. They stated that the dwelling had proven excessively demanding to maintain.

"This residence has been the core of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve aged, it has become increasingly challenging to maintain it with the attention and effort it so richly deserves," stated the offspring of the original owners.

They continued that the period had arrived to find a new "guardian" for the house – "an individual who not only appreciates its architectural importance but also grasps its role in the cultural landscape of the city and beyond."

Unassuming Beginnings

The inception of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the original owners purchased a hilly parcel of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a renowned representation of the city, the owners often pointed out that "nobody famous ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "working-class family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Design Undertaking

The original design for the Stahl house was developed during the summer of 1956. However, many builders were originally hesitant to erect it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the family met with architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to accept the challenge. With assistance from the prominent Case Study program, spearheaded by a key magazine editor, the Stahls received financial aid to hire Koenig.

The contemporary program "centered around innovation" and "employing new resources and constructing in locations that maybe previously the engineering didn’t really allow," remarked an expert from a local preservation society. "All those things are combined into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, modern and unthinkable in terms of how it was erected on that location that everyone else believed, at the time, was impossible to build."

Finalization and Cultural Impact

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and work started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction totaled "only $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The result was "a perfect representation of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after construction was finished, a famous architectural photographer captured what is perhaps the most well-known picture of the home. Taken through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photograph shows two women sitting in the home’s living room but appearing to float over the city skyline.

"I believe the long-standing impact of this photo is due to the way it conveys an concept about living in Los Angeles, an duality about being both metropolitan and removed from it," said a principal of an architectural company and adjunct professor at a major university.

Cultural Designation

The home has enjoyed notable features in film, broadcast and videos, including several well-known titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city recognized the Stahl house a historic-cultural landmark, and in 2013, the house was listed as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Stewardship

The home is still open for tours, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all appointments are currently fully booked through February. In their statement announcing the sale, the family indicated they would give "plenty of advance notice" before ending the tours.

The sales details for the home emphasizes finding a buyer who will preserve the spirit of the space.

"For connoisseurs of style, advocates of architecture, or entities seeking to safeguard an national treasure, there is simply nothing comparable," the listing say. "This goes beyond a sale; it is a handover of custody – a quest for the next steward who will honor the house’s legacy, respect its original vision, and ensure its preservation for future generations."

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

"I think any time a longtime owner, and a stewardship like this, is transferring hands of a residence like this, it always creates a little bit of a concern – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their plans will be. And can they comprehend and cherish the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"