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The renowned Stahl house, a quintessential example of modernist architecture, is currently listed for the very first time in its entire history.

This suspended residence, perched in the Hollywood Hills area, appeared on the real estate market this past week. The asking price stands at an impressive $25 million.

Owners Move to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have held title to the property for its complete 65-year timeline, issued a statement regarding their choice to sell. They expressed that the property had become excessively demanding to maintain.

"This residence has been the center of our lives for decades, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become progressively harder to care for it with the attention and energy it so truly merits," commented the offspring of the original owners.

They further stated that the time had come to find a new "steward" for the house – "an individual who not only values its architectural importance but also comprehends its place in the cultural landscape of LA and beyond."

Modest Origins

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

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a famous icon of the city, the owners often stressed that "no celebrities ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "average family living in a white-collar house."

Architectural Feat

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

In November 1957, the family met with architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to take on the challenge. With support from the influential Case Study program, led by a prominent magazine editor, the Stahls received support to hire Koenig.

The contemporary program "focused on experimentation" and "employing new building materials and erecting in locations that maybe earlier the technology didn’t really allow," commented an specialist from a local preservation society. "All these elements are combined into a place like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, contemporary and inconceivable in terms of how it was constructed on that location that everyone else believed, at the time, was unbuildable."

Realization and Famous Influence

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and construction commenced in May 1959. According to the family, construction cost "just $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The outcome was "an idealized version of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after construction was finished, a celebrated architectural photographer took what is arguably the most iconic photograph of the home. Taken through the enormous glass windows, the image depicts two women seated in the home’s living room but appearing to levitate over the city skyline.

"I believe the lasting effect of this image is due to the way it expresses an notion about living in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both urban and removed from it," said a head of an architectural company and lecturer at a prominent university.

Historic Status

The home has had historic features in cinema, TV and videos, including several popular titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city declared the Stahl house a historic-cultural landmark, and in 2013, the house was included as a preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Custodianship

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

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

"For connoisseurs of architecture, advocates of architecture, or institutions seeking to protect an American masterpiece, there is simply no equal," the description state. "This is not merely a sale; it is a handover of custody – a search for the next guardian who will respect the house’s legacy, respect its architectural purity, and ensure its conservation for future generations."

The authority affirmed that the selection of purchaser would be a crucial one, given the home’s legacy.

"I think any time a original family, and a custodianship like this, is changing ownership of a residence 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 do they grasp and value the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"