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The celebrated Stahl house, a epitome of midcentury modern architecture, is currently listed for the very first time in its complete history.

This cantilevered dwelling, perched in the Hollywood Hills area, hit the market this past week. The asking price stands at a notable $25 million.

Stewards Move to Sell

The Stahl family, who have owned the residence for its entire 65-year history, released a declaration regarding their choice to sell. They stated that the house had become excessively demanding to maintain.

"This home has been the heart of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve aged, it has become increasingly challenging to look after it with the attention and vigor it so rightfully warrants," wrote the children of the first owners.

They added that the moment had emerged to find a new "steward" for the house – "a person who not only recognizes its architectural importance but also comprehends its place in the cultural fabric of Los Angeles and elsewhere."

Modest Beginnings

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

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a renowned icon of the city, the family often stressed that "nobody famous ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "working-class family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Architectural Challenge

The initial design for the Stahl house was created during the summer of 1956. However, many architects were originally reluctant to build it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to take on the challenge. With assistance from the influential Case Study program, spearheaded by a prominent magazine editor, the owners received subsidies to commission Koenig.

The contemporary program "centered around innovation" and "employing new building materials and constructing in places that maybe before the technology didn’t really allow," stated an expert from a local conservancy. "Each of these factors are integrated into a place like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, progressive and inconceivable in terms of how it was constructed on that location that everyone else considered, at the time, was impossible to build."

Finalization and Cultural Impact

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and building commenced in May 1959. According to the family, construction totaled "just $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The outcome was "the ultimate vision of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the expert added.

Soon after completion, a famous architectural photographer shot what is arguably the most well-known image of the home. Shot through the full-length glass windows, the photo depicts two women positioned in the home’s living room but seeming to hover over the LA skyline.

"In my opinion the enduring influence of the photograph is due to the way it expresses an concept about dwelling in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both urban and removed from it," said a head of an architectural firm and lecturer at a major university.

Protected Designation

The home has enjoyed notable appearances in cinema, broadcast and music videos, including several well-known 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 protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Stewardship

The home continues to be open for visits, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all tours are currently fully booked through February. In their statement concerning the sale, the family stated 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 connoisseurs of design, patrons of building, or organizations seeking to protect an national treasure, there is simply nothing comparable," the description read. "This goes beyond a purchase; it is a transfer of stewardship – a quest for the next guardian who will respect the house’s legacy, value its design integrity, and guarantee its preservation for generations to come."

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

"In my view any time a long-term steward, and a stewardship like this, is being sold of a residence like this, it always creates a little bit of a concern – because you cannot predict 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?"