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The famous Stahl house, a epitome of midcentury modern architectural design, is now available for the first time in its whole history.

This cantilevered residence, situated in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, was listed on the real estate market this past week. The asking price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Family Decision to Sell

The Stahl family, who have owned the home for its complete 65-year existence, shared a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They stated that the dwelling had proven increasingly challenging to maintain.

"This residence has been the center of our lives for decades, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become increasingly challenging to care for it with the attention and effort it so truly merits," stated the children of the initial owners.

They added that the moment had emerged to find a new "steward" for the house – "an individual who not only values its architectural importance but also comprehends its position in the cultural history of Los Angeles and beyond."

Modest Inception

The beginnings of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the initial owners bought a sloped patch of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a well-known symbol of the city, the residents often emphasized that "nobody famous ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "working-class family living in a white-collar house."

Construction Challenge

The first design for the Stahl house was created during the summer months of 1956. However, many designers were initially hesitant to construct it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the owners interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to undertake the project. With backing from the notable Case Study program, spearheaded by a prominent magazine editor, the family received subsidies to hire Koenig.

The modernist program "centered around trial and error" and "employing new materials and constructing in locations that maybe earlier the techniques didn’t really enable," commented an specialist from a regional preservation society. "Each of these factors are combined into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and inconceivable in terms of how it was erected on that plot that everyone else considered, at the time, was unbuildable."

Finalization and Cultural Influence

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and construction commenced in May 1959. According to the owners, construction cost "just $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The outcome was "a perfect representation of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the authority commented.

Soon after completion, a celebrated architectural photographer shot what is arguably the most well-known image of the home. Taken through the full-length glass windows, the photograph features two women positioned in the home’s living room but appearing to float over the LA skyline.

"I think the enduring effect of the photograph is due to the way it expresses an notion about living in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both in the city and removed from it," commented a founder of an architectural practice and educator at a major university.

Protected Status

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

In 1999, the city designated 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 previous 17 years, although all slots are currently fully booked through February. In their announcement announcing the sale, the family said they would give "plenty of advance notice" before stopping the tours.

The listing for the home stresses finding a purchaser who will conserve the spirit of the space.

"For enthusiasts of style, patrons of building, or organizations seeking to preserve an national treasure, there is simply no equal," the description say. "This goes beyond a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a quest for the next custodian who will honor the house’s past, value its architectural purity, and ensure its protection for generations to come."

The specialist affirmed that the decision of new owner would be a vital one, given the home’s legacy.

"In my view any time a original family, and a stewardship like this, is transferring hands of a residence like this, it always causes a little bit of a pause – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And do they grasp and value the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"