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The renowned Stahl house, a quintessential example of midcentury modern architectural design, is currently listed for the first time in its complete history.

This cantilevered residence, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, was listed on the listings this recent week. The listing price stands at a notable $25 million.

Stewards Move to Sell

The Stahl family, who have owned the residence for its full 65-year existence, shared a statement regarding their resolution to sell. They expressed that the property had grown excessively demanding to care for.

"This home has been the center of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve aged, it has become increasingly challenging to care for it with the dedication and energy it so rightfully warrants," commented the offspring of the original owners.

They continued that the time had emerged to find a new "guardian" for the house – "someone who not only recognizes its architectural significance but also understands its place in the cultural history of LA and beyond."

Humble Beginnings

The beginnings of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the first owners purchased a mountainous plot of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a famous symbol of the city, the owners often pointed out that "nobody famous ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Design Challenge

The initial design for the Stahl house was conceived during the warm season of 1956. However, many designers were originally wary to erect it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the owners interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to take on the challenge. With assistance from the prominent Case Study program, spearheaded by a key magazine editor, the Stahls received subsidies to engage Koenig.

The progressive program "centered around innovation" and "employing new materials and constructing in places that maybe previously the techniques didn’t really permit," stated an authority from a city conservancy. "All these elements are wrapped up into a place like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, modern and inconceivable in terms of how it was constructed on that site that everyone else believed, at the time, was impossible to build."

Finalization and Famous Legacy

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and construction commenced in May 1959. According to the family, construction totaled "only $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The final product was "an idealized version of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the authority noted.

Soon after construction was finished, a famous architectural photographer took what is arguably the most famous photograph of the home. Shot through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the image features two women seated in the home’s living room but seeming to float over the LA skyline.

"In my opinion the enduring impact of that image is due to the way it communicates an notion about residing in Los Angeles, an duality about being both urban and detached from it," stated a head of an architectural company and lecturer at a leading university.

Protected Recognition

The home has enjoyed notable features in film, broadcast and music videos, including several popular 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 added as a preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Ownership

The home remains open for public viewings, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all slots are currently reserved through February. In their release concerning the sale, the family indicated they would give "plenty of advance notice" before discontinuing the tours.

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

"For collectors of style, patrons of design, or organizations seeking to protect an national treasure, there is simply nothing comparable," the details state. "This is not merely a transaction; it is a passing of responsibility – a quest for the next steward who will respect the house’s legacy, value its architectural purity, and ensure its preservation for future generations."

The expert affirmed that the decision of buyer would be a critical one, given the home’s history.

"I think any time a original family, and a guardianship like this, is changing ownership of a home like this, it always gives us a little bit of a hesitation – because you never know what the next owner, what their aims will be. And do they comprehend and appreciate the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"