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The renowned Stahl house, a paragon of mid-century modern design, is now available for the first time in its whole history.

This suspended residence, perched in the Hollywood Hills, hit the market this past week. The price tag stands at a substantial $25 million.

Owners Decision to Sell

The Stahl family, who have held title to the property for its complete 65-year timeline, released a statement regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the house had proven increasingly challenging to upkeep.

"This home has been the heart of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve grown older, it has become increasingly challenging to look after it with the dedication and energy it so rightfully warrants," commented the descendants of the first owners.

They continued that the time had arrived to find a new "custodian" for the house – "an individual who not only recognizes its architectural importance but also understands its place in the cultural history of LA and further afield."

Unassuming Origins

The beginnings of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the initial owners purchased a hilly plot of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a well-known icon of the city, the owners often stressed that "nobody famous ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "working-class family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Architectural Undertaking

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

In November 1957, the Stahls consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to take on the task. With support from the notable Case Study program, led by a key magazine editor, the owners received subsidies to commission Koenig.

The contemporary program "focused on innovation" and "employing new building materials and building in locations that maybe before the technology didn’t really allow," stated an expert from a city preservation society. "All those things are integrated into a place like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and inconceivable in terms of how it was constructed on that plot that everyone else believed, at the time, was impossible to build."

Completion and Famous Impact

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and work started in May 1959. According to the residents, construction amounted to "just $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The result was "a perfect representation of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the expert noted.

Soon after completion, a famous architectural photographer took what is perhaps the most well-known photograph 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 Los Angeles skyline.

"I believe the long-standing influence of this photo is due to the way it conveys an concept about living in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both urban and removed from it," commented a principal of an architectural company and lecturer at a prominent university.

Cultural Recognition

The home has had historic cameos in film, television and music videos, including several popular titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city recognized the Stahl house a protected monument, and in 2013, the house was listed as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Custodianship

The home is still open for tours, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all appointments are currently sold out through February. In their release regarding the sale, the family said they would give "sufficient warning" before stopping the tours.

The sales details for the home stresses finding a buyer who will preserve the character of the space.

"For connoisseurs of style, supporters of architecture, or institutions seeking to protect an American masterpiece, there is simply no equal," the listing state. "This is more than a sale; it is a transfer of stewardship – a quest for the next guardian who will celebrate the house’s history, appreciate its architectural purity, and guarantee its conservation for posterity."

The expert affirmed that the selection of buyer would be a vital one, given the home’s legacy.

"I believe any time a long-term steward, and a custodianship like this, is being sold 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 can they understand and value the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"