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The famous Stahl house, a quintessential example of modernist architectural design, is currently listed for the first time in its entire history.

This suspended dwelling, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, appeared on the listings this past week. The asking price stands at a notable $25 million.

Owners Choice to Part With

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

"This house has been the heart of our lives for many years, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become increasingly challenging to look after it with the dedication and effort it so richly deserves," stated the children of the initial owners.

They continued that the period had come to find a new "steward" for the house – "a person who not only appreciates its design legacy but also comprehends its role in the cultural landscape of LA and beyond."

Modest Inception

The origins of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the initial owners bought a hilly plot of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a renowned symbol of the city, the family often emphasized that "no famous individuals ever lived here," describing themselves as a "working-class family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Design Challenge

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

In November 1957, the family met with architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to take on the task. With support from the influential Case Study program, spearheaded by a key magazine editor, the owners received subsidies to commission Koenig.

The contemporary program "was about trial and error" and "employing new materials and building in locations that maybe previously the technology didn’t really enable," remarked an specialist from a local conservancy. "All those things are integrated into a place like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, modern and unimaginable in terms of how it was built on that site that everyone else believed, at the time, was unbuildable."

Completion and Iconic Impact

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and work started in May 1959. According to the family, construction amounted to "just $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The result was "the ultimate vision of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the specialist added.

Soon after completion, a celebrated architectural photographer took what is arguably the most famous image of the home. Taken through the full-length glass windows, the photo features two women positioned in the home’s living room but seeming to hover over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I think the long-standing impact of this image is due to the way it conveys an idea about living in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both in the city and detached from it," said a head of an architectural practice and adjunct professor at a prominent university.

Protected Status

The home has made memorable features in film, broadcast and videos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city designated the Stahl house a protected monument, and in 2013, the house was added as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Ownership

The home continues to be open for tours, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all appointments are currently fully booked through February. In their announcement regarding the sale, the family stated they would give "sufficient warning" before ending the tours.

The sales details for the home highlights finding a buyer who will maintain the character of the space.

"For enthusiasts of design, supporters of building, or organizations seeking to preserve an American masterpiece, there is simply no equal," the description read. "This is not merely a transaction; it is a handover of custody – a search for the next guardian who will respect the house’s history, appreciate its original vision, and secure its conservation for generations to come."

The specialist affirmed that the selection of buyer would be a vital one, given the home’s past.

"I think any time a long-term steward, and a custodianship like this, is transferring hands of a home like this, it always creates a little bit of a pause – because you never know what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And can they comprehend and appreciate the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"