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The celebrated Stahl house, a paragon of midcentury modern design, is now available for the very first time in its entire history.

This suspended home, perched in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, appeared on the listings this past week. The listing price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Family Choice to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have held title to the home for its full 65-year history, shared a announcement regarding their choice to sell. They noted that the dwelling had become too difficult to care for.

"This home has been the center of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve aged, it has become increasingly challenging to care for it with the care and energy it so truly merits," wrote the offspring of the original owners.

They continued that the period had emerged to find a new "custodian" for the house – "someone who not only appreciates its architectural significance but also comprehends its position in the cultural fabric of Los Angeles and elsewhere."

Unassuming Origins

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

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

Architectural Challenge

The first design for the Stahl house was created during the summer of 1956. However, many architects were initially wary to erect it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the owners consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to undertake the project. With assistance from the influential Case Study program, pioneered by a key magazine editor, the owners received subsidies to hire Koenig.

The contemporary program "was about trial and error" and "using new materials and constructing in places that maybe previously the techniques didn’t really enable," remarked an specialist from a local conservancy. "Each of these factors are wrapped up into a property like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, contemporary and unimaginable in terms of how it was built on that plot that everyone else believed, at the time, was not feasible."

Finalization and Cultural Legacy

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and work started in May 1959. According to the residents, construction totaled "just $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The result was "an idealized version of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer took what is possibly the most iconic image of the home. Captured through the enormous glass windows, the photo features two women seated in the home’s living room but appearing to hover over the LA skyline.

"In my opinion the lasting influence of this photograph is due to the way it conveys an notion about residing in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both urban and detached from it," said a head of an architectural firm and adjunct professor at a leading university.

Protected Designation

The home has had notable cameos in movies, TV and promos, 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 conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Custodianship

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

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

"For collectors of architecture, supporters of design, or institutions seeking to safeguard an national treasure, there is simply no parallel," the description read. "This goes beyond a purchase; it is a handover of custody – a search for the next custodian who will honor the house’s legacy, respect its architectural purity, and ensure its protection for future generations."

The authority concurred that the selection of buyer would be a critical one, given the home’s legacy.

"I think any time a long-term steward, and a stewardship like this, is changing ownership of a home like this, it always causes a little bit of a hesitation – because you never know what the next owner, what their aims will be. And can they understand and cherish the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"