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

This suspended home, situated in the Hollywood Hills area, was listed on the market this week. The asking price stands at a notable $25 million.

Family Decision to Sell

The Stahl family, who have held title to the home for its entire 65-year timeline, shared a statement regarding their decision to sell. They stated that the property had proven increasingly challenging to maintain.

"This residence has been the heart of our lives for many years, but as we’ve aged, it has become increasingly challenging to care for it with the dedication and energy it so richly deserves," wrote the offspring of the initial owners.

They further stated that the period had come to find a new "custodian" for the house – "an individual who not only recognizes its architectural importance but also grasps its place in the cultural fabric of LA and further afield."

Unassuming Origins

The beginnings of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the original owners purchased a hilly patch of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a famous icon of the city, the owners often emphasized that "no famous individuals ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a white-collar house."

Architectural Challenge

The first design for the Stahl house was developed during the warm season of 1956. However, many builders were originally reluctant to erect it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the family consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to accept the challenge. With backing from the influential Case Study program, led by a prominent magazine editor, the family received subsidies to engage Koenig.

The progressive program "centered around trial and error" and "utilizing new building materials and constructing in locations that maybe earlier the technology didn’t really enable," commented an expert from a local heritage organization. "All those things are combined into a property like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, progressive and unthinkable in terms of how it was constructed on that plot that everyone else thought, at the time, was impossible to build."

Realization and Cultural Impact

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and building began in May 1959. According to the owners, construction amounted to "a mere $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The result was "an idealized version of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after the build ended, a renowned architectural photographer took what is perhaps the most famous picture of the home. Shot through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photo features two women seated in the home’s living room but appearing to float over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I believe the lasting effect of that image is due to the way it expresses an notion about dwelling in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both urban and detached from it," stated a founder of an architectural company and lecturer at a prominent university.

Protected Status

The home has had memorable appearances in film, television and promos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city recognized the Stahl house a heritage site, and in 2013, the house was included as a preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Custodianship

The home continues to be open for tours, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all slots are currently reserved through February. In their announcement announcing the sale, the family indicated they would give "sufficient warning" before ending the tours.

The sales details for the home emphasizes finding a buyer who will conserve the essence of the space.

"For collectors of design, advocates of design, or organizations seeking to protect an American masterpiece, there is simply no equal," the description say. "This is not merely a transaction; it is a passing of responsibility – a search for the next guardian who will celebrate the house’s legacy, appreciate its design integrity, and ensure its protection for future generations."

The specialist agreed that the choice of buyer would be a critical one, given the home’s history.

"I think any time a longtime owner, and a stewardship like this, is transferring hands of a property like this, it always gives us a little bit of a concern – because you never know what the next owner, what their plans will be. And do they comprehend and appreciate the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"