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The famous Stahl house, a quintessential example of midcentury modern architectural design, is up for sale for the initial occasion in its whole history.

This suspended dwelling, situated in the Hollywood Hills, was listed on the real estate market this past week. The asking price stands at a notable $25 million.

Family Choice to Sell

The Stahl family, who have owned the property for its entire 65-year history, shared a statement regarding their choice to sell. They noted that the property had grown excessively demanding to upkeep.

"This home has been the heart of our lives for decades, but as we’ve grown older, it has become increasingly challenging to look after it with the care and vigor it so truly merits," commented the descendants of the first owners.

They further stated that the period had emerged to find a new "guardian" for the house – "a person who not only recognizes its architectural significance but also grasps its position in the cultural landscape of LA and elsewhere."

Modest Inception

The origins of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the first owners purchased a sloped parcel of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a well-known representation of the city, the residents often stressed that "nobody famous ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a white-collar house."

Construction Undertaking

The initial design for the Stahl house was developed during the summer of 1956. However, many architects were at first hesitant to erect it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the owners met with architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to accept the project. With support from the influential Case Study program, spearheaded by a prominent magazine editor, the Stahls received financial aid to commission Koenig.

The contemporary program "centered around innovation" and "using new building materials and building in sites that maybe before the technology didn’t really permit," remarked an specialist from a local preservation society. "Each of these factors are combined into a place like the Stahl house, which was innovative, contemporary and unimaginable in terms of how it was constructed on that plot that everyone else believed, at the time, was unbuildable."

Realization and Famous Legacy

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and construction began in May 1959. According to the family, construction cost "a mere $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The result was "the ultimate vision of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer shot what is arguably the most iconic photograph of the home. Captured through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the image shows two women positioned in the home’s living room but seeming to float over the city skyline.

"I believe the lasting impact of this image is due to the way it communicates an concept about dwelling in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both urban and separate from it," said a head of an architectural company and lecturer at a prominent university.

Cultural Designation

The home has enjoyed notable appearances in film, television and promos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city designated the Stahl house a heritage site, and in 2013, the house was listed as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Custodianship

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

The property description for the home emphasizes finding a new owner who will conserve the spirit of the space.

"For enthusiasts of architecture, patrons of design, or institutions seeking to protect an national treasure, there is simply no equal," the description read. "This is not merely a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a quest for the next guardian who will honor the house’s legacy, appreciate its architectural purity, and guarantee its protection for future generations."

The expert concurred that the decision of purchaser would be a crucial one, given the home’s history.

"I believe any time a longtime owner, and a stewardship like this, is changing ownership of a home like this, it always causes a little bit of a pause – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their plans will be. And can they grasp and appreciate the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"