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The famous Stahl house, a epitome of modernist design, is up for sale for the initial occasion in its entire history.

This cantilevered residence, perched in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, hit the listings this past week. The listing price stands at a notable $25 million.

Owners Choice to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have owned the home for its complete 65-year history, issued a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the property had grown increasingly challenging to care for.

"This home has been the center of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve grown older, it has become more difficult to care for it with the dedication and energy it so rightfully warrants," wrote the descendants of the initial owners.

They further stated that the period had emerged to find a new "guardian" for the house – "someone who not only recognizes its architectural importance but also comprehends its role in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and further afield."

Modest Inception

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

Despite the Stahl house growing into a well-known symbol of the city, the family often emphasized that "no celebrities ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "average family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Design Undertaking

The first design for the Stahl house was conceived during the summer of 1956. However, many builders were at first wary to construct it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to take on the challenge. With backing from the prominent Case Study program, led by a leading magazine editor, the family received financial aid to engage Koenig.

The contemporary program "was about experimentation" and "utilizing new materials and erecting in locations that maybe before the techniques didn’t really enable," remarked an specialist from a regional 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 built on that location that everyone else believed, 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 cost "just $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 commented.

Soon after the build ended, a celebrated architectural photographer took what is perhaps the most well-known photograph of the home. Taken through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the image depicts two women seated in the home’s living room but appearing to float over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I believe the enduring impact of this image is due to the way it conveys an idea about living in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both in the city and separate from it," commented a founder of an architectural practice and lecturer at a prominent university.

Protected Status

The home has enjoyed notable cameos in cinema, broadcast and videos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city designated the Stahl house a heritage site, and in 2013, the house was added as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Stewardship

The home remains open for tours, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all tours are currently sold out through February. In their release concerning the sale, the family stated they would give "ample notice" before stopping the tours.

The property description for the home emphasizes finding a new owner who will conserve the essence of the space.

"For collectors of style, patrons of building, or institutions seeking to safeguard an national treasure, there is simply no equal," the listing read. "This is not merely a purchase; it is a passing of responsibility – a search for the next steward who will honor the house’s past, appreciate its design integrity, and ensure its protection for generations to come."

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

"I think any time a original family, and a guardianship like this, is being sold of a property like this, it always causes a little bit of a concern – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their plans will be. And can they understand and appreciate the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"