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The celebrated Stahl house, a epitome of midcentury modern architecture, is up for sale for the very first time in its whole history.

This overhanging dwelling, situated in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, appeared on the market this past week. The asking price stands at a notable $25 million.

Stewards Choice to Part With

The Stahl family, who have owned the property for its entire 65-year timeline, shared a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They expressed that the dwelling had grown too difficult to care for.

"This home has been the core of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become progressively harder to care for it with the attention and energy it so richly deserves," commented the children of the first owners.

They added that the period had emerged to find a new "custodian" for the house – "a person who not only recognizes its architectural importance but also grasps its place in the cultural fabric of the city and elsewhere."

Unassuming Inception

The origins of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the initial owners acquired a mountainous patch of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a famous symbol of the city, the owners often pointed out that "no celebrities ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Architectural Undertaking

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

In November 1957, the owners met with architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to take on the task. With assistance from the notable Case Study program, led by a key magazine editor, the family received subsidies to engage Koenig.

The contemporary program "was about experimentation" and "utilizing new materials and constructing in sites that maybe earlier the engineering didn’t really permit," remarked an authority from a city preservation society. "All these elements are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and inconceivable in terms of how it was constructed on that plot that everyone else considered, at the time, was unbuildable."

Completion and Iconic Influence

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and construction started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction amounted to "a mere $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The outcome was "an idealized version of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the specialist added.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer captured what is possibly the most famous photograph of the home. Taken through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photo features two women seated in the home’s living room but seeming to levitate over the LA skyline.

"I think the lasting impact of the photo is due to the way it conveys an idea about living in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both metropolitan and removed from it," said a head of an architectural practice and lecturer at a prominent university.

Historic Designation

The home has enjoyed memorable features in film, television and music videos, including several popular titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Coming Ownership

The home is still open for public viewings, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all slots are currently sold out through February. In their statement concerning the sale, the family said they would give "ample notice" before discontinuing the tours.

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

"For enthusiasts of design, advocates of architecture, or organizations seeking to protect an American masterpiece, there is simply no parallel," the description read. "This is not merely a purchase; it is a handover of custody – a hunt for the next guardian who will honor the house’s legacy, value its original vision, and secure its protection for generations to come."

The expert agreed that the choice of buyer would be a vital one, given the home’s past.

"In my view any time a long-term steward, and a stewardship 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 plans will be. And will they understand and cherish the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"