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

This overhanging residence, perched in the Hollywood Hills, hit the listings this past week. The listing price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Family Decision to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the residence for its complete 65-year existence, shared a announcement regarding their choice to sell. They noted that the property had proven excessively demanding to care for.

"This residence has been the heart of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve aged, it has become increasingly challenging to care for it with the attention and vigor it so rightfully warrants," stated the children of the original owners.

They continued that the time had come to find a new "guardian" for the house – "an individual who not only recognizes its architectural importance but also understands its role in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and beyond."

Modest Origins

The beginnings of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the first owners acquired a hilly plot of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a well-known symbol of the city, the owners often emphasized that "no famous individuals ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "average family living in a white-collar house."

Design Undertaking

The original design for the Stahl house was created during the summer of 1956. However, many designers were originally wary to build it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the family met with architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to accept the task. With backing from the influential Case Study program, led by a prominent magazine editor, the Stahls received subsidies to hire Koenig.

The modernist program "was about experimentation" and "employing new materials and building in locations that maybe before the techniques didn’t really enable," stated an authority from a local heritage organization. "All these elements are wrapped up into a place like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, contemporary and inconceivable in terms of how it was erected on that site that everyone else considered, at the time, was not feasible."

Realization and Cultural Impact

The Stahl house became 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 completed by May 1960. The result was "a perfect representation of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the specialist commented.

Soon after the build ended, a celebrated architectural photographer took what is possibly the most famous picture of the home. Captured through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photo shows two women seated in the home’s living room but seeming to hover over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I think the lasting effect of this photo is due to the way it communicates an concept about dwelling in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both in the city and removed from it," said a founder of an architectural practice and educator at a prominent university.

Historic Status

The home has made notable cameos in movies, television and promos, including several well-known 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 included as a preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Custodianship

The home is still open for tours, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all slots are currently sold out through February. In their statement concerning the sale, the family indicated they would give "sufficient warning" before stopping the tours.

The property description for the home emphasizes finding a purchaser who will conserve the essence of the space.

"For collectors of architecture, patrons of architecture, or organizations seeking to protect an American masterpiece, there is simply nothing comparable," the description state. "This goes beyond a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a quest for the next steward who will respect the house’s past, respect its architectural purity, and secure its protection for future generations."

The expert affirmed that the choice of buyer would be a crucial one, given the home’s legacy.

"I think any time a long-term steward, and a custodianship like this, is transferring hands of a property like this, it always causes a little bit of a hesitation – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And will they grasp and cherish the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"