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The renowned Stahl house, a paragon of mid-century modern architectural design, is up for sale for the very first time in its complete history.

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

Owners Move to Part With

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the home for its complete 65-year timeline, released a declaration regarding their choice to sell. They expressed that the property had become too difficult to upkeep.

"This residence has been the core of our lives for decades, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become progressively harder to look after it with the dedication and effort it so richly deserves," stated the children of the first owners.

They further stated that the moment had arrived to find a new "custodian" for the house – "a person who not only values its architectural importance but also understands its position in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and elsewhere."

Humble Origins

The inception of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the original owners bought a mountainous patch of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a renowned representation of the city, the family often pointed out that "no famous individuals ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a luxury house."

Construction Feat

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

In November 1957, the family met with architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to undertake the challenge. With support from the influential Case Study program, pioneered by a prominent magazine editor, the owners received subsidies to hire Koenig.

The contemporary program "focused on experimentation" and "employing new building materials and building in locations that maybe previously the techniques didn’t really permit," remarked an expert from a local heritage organization. "All these elements are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, modern and unthinkable in terms of how it was erected on that location that everyone else believed, at the time, was not feasible."

Completion and Famous Impact

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and building commenced in May 1959. According to the family, construction cost "just $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The outcome was "the ultimate vision of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the specialist added.

Soon after construction was finished, a famous architectural photographer captured what is arguably the most famous photograph of the home. Captured through the full-length glass windows, the image depicts two women seated in the home’s living room but looking to float over the LA skyline.

"I believe the long-standing effect of this photograph is due to the way it expresses an notion about living in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both metropolitan and separate from it," commented a principal of an architectural practice and educator at a leading university.

Protected Status

The home has enjoyed notable features in cinema, broadcast and videos, including several famous 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 listed as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Ownership

The home remains open for visits, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all slots are currently reserved through February. In their announcement regarding the sale, the family indicated they would give "sufficient warning" before ending the tours.

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

"For enthusiasts of design, supporters of architecture, or organizations seeking to preserve an iconic work, there is simply nothing comparable," the listing state. "This is more than a transaction; it is a handover of custody – a hunt for the next guardian who will respect the house’s past, value its design integrity, and guarantee its conservation for generations to come."

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

"I think any time a long-term steward, and a custodianship like this, is changing ownership of a property like this, it always creates a little bit of a concern – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their plans will be. And do they understand and value the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"