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

This cantilevered residence, perched in the Hollywood Hills area, was listed on the listings this recent week. The asking price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Owners Decision to Part With

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the home for its full 65-year existence, released a announcement regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the house had grown excessively demanding to upkeep.

"This residence has been the heart of our lives for decades, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become progressively harder to maintain it with the attention and energy it so rightfully warrants," wrote the descendants of the first owners.

They continued that the time had arrived to find a new "guardian" for the house – "a person who not only appreciates its architectural importance but also understands its role in the cultural fabric of LA and beyond."

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 area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a famous icon of the city, the owners often stressed that "no celebrities ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "working-class family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Design Feat

The original design for the Stahl house was conceived during the warm season of 1956. However, many designers were originally wary to build it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the owners interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to accept the task. With assistance from the prominent Case Study program, spearheaded by a leading magazine editor, the owners received financial aid to engage Koenig.

The contemporary program "centered around experimentation" and "using new materials and erecting in sites that maybe previously the technology didn’t really allow," stated an expert from a city heritage organization. "All these elements are combined into a property like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, modern and inconceivable in terms of how it was constructed on that site that everyone else believed, at the time, was unbuildable."

Finalization and Iconic Influence

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and work commenced in May 1959. According to the owners, construction cost "a mere $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The final product was "a perfect representation of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the authority noted.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer shot what is arguably the most iconic picture of the home. Taken through the enormous glass windows, the image shows two women seated in the home’s living room but seeming to hover over the Los Angeles skyline.

"In my opinion the lasting effect of this photo is due to the way it communicates an concept about residing in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both urban and removed from it," said a founder of an architectural company and educator at a leading university.

Historic Status

The home has had notable appearances in movies, broadcast and music 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 protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Ownership

The home continues to be open for tours, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all appointments are currently fully booked through February. In their release regarding the sale, the family stated they would give "ample notice" before stopping the tours.

The sales details for the home highlights finding a purchaser who will maintain the character of the space.

"For collectors of design, supporters of building, or institutions seeking to safeguard an iconic work, there is simply no parallel," the description read. "This is not merely a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a hunt for the next steward who will celebrate the house’s past, appreciate its design integrity, and ensure its conservation for posterity."

The expert affirmed that the choice of new owner would be a crucial one, given the home’s history.

"I think any time a original family, and a guardianship like this, is being sold of a home like this, it always gives us a little bit of a hesitation – because you never know what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And do they comprehend and appreciate the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"