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The famous Stahl house, a quintessential example of modernist design, is up for sale for the very first time in its whole history.

This overhanging dwelling, nestled in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, hit the listings this recent week. The asking price stands at an impressive $25 million.

Owners Decision to Sell

The Stahl family, who have owned the residence for its complete 65-year history, released a announcement regarding their decision to sell. They stated that the dwelling had become too difficult to upkeep.

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

They continued that the moment had arrived to find a new "custodian" for the house – "someone who not only values its architectural significance but also understands its role in the cultural fabric of LA and further afield."

Humble Beginnings

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

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a famous representation of the city, the residents often pointed out that "no celebrities ever lived here," describing themselves as a "average family living in a white-collar house."

Construction Undertaking

The original design for the Stahl house was conceived during the summer months of 1956. However, many designers were at first hesitant to build it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to undertake the task. With assistance from the prominent Case Study program, led by a key magazine editor, the Stahls received subsidies to hire Koenig.

The modernist program "centered around trial and error" and "employing new materials and building in locations that maybe earlier the engineering didn’t really permit," commented an authority from a regional conservancy. "Each of these factors are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, contemporary and inconceivable in terms of how it was built on that plot that everyone else thought, at the time, was impossible to build."

Finalization and Cultural Impact

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and construction began in May 1959. According to the residents, construction amounted to "a mere $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The final product was "the ultimate vision of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the specialist added.

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

"I believe the lasting impact of that photo is due to the way it conveys an idea about living in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both metropolitan and separate from it," commented a head of an architectural practice and educator at a leading university.

Cultural Designation

The home has had notable cameos in cinema, television and music videos, including several well-known titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Coming Custodianship

The home remains open for public viewings, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all appointments are currently sold out through February. In their release concerning the sale, the family indicated they would give "sufficient warning" before discontinuing the tours.

The listing for the home emphasizes finding a new owner who will preserve the essence of the space.

"For enthusiasts of style, advocates of design, or organizations seeking to protect an iconic work, there is simply no parallel," the listing read. "This is not merely a transaction; it is a passing of responsibility – a search for the next steward who will honor the house’s past, value its original vision, and secure its conservation for future generations."

The specialist agreed that the choice of new owner would be a crucial one, given the home’s legacy.

"In my view any time a longtime owner, and a custodianship like this, is being sold of a home like this, it always causes a little bit of a concern – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their aims will be. And can they grasp and value the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"