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The celebrated Stahl house, a paragon of midcentury modern architectural design, is now available for the initial occasion in its complete history.

This cantilevered residence, perched in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, appeared on the listings this past week. The listing price stands at an impressive $25 million.

Family Choice to Sell

The Stahl family, who have held title to the home for its full 65-year timeline, shared a statement regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the house had grown increasingly challenging to care for.

"This home has been the center of our lives for many years, but as we’ve grown older, it has become progressively harder to maintain it with the attention and energy it so truly merits," commented the children of the initial owners.

They added that the period had arrived to find a new "guardian" for the house – "an individual who not only recognizes its design legacy but also grasps its position in the cultural history of LA and further afield."

Unassuming Inception

The beginnings of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the first owners acquired a sloped patch of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a well-known symbol of the city, the residents often emphasized that "no celebrities ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "working-class family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Design Undertaking

The initial design for the Stahl house was created during the warm season of 1956. However, many architects were at first reluctant to construct it on the challenging hillside.

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

The progressive program "focused on trial and error" and "employing new resources and building in locations that maybe previously the techniques didn’t really permit," stated an authority from a regional conservancy. "Each of these factors are combined into a property like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, progressive and unthinkable in terms of how it was built on that location that everyone else believed, at the time, was unbuildable."

Finalization and Iconic Impact

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and construction commenced in May 1959. According to the family, construction totaled "just $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The result was "the ultimate vision of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the authority added.

Soon after the build ended, a renowned architectural photographer took what is arguably the most famous picture of the home. Captured through the enormous glass windows, the photo depicts two women positioned in the home’s living room but appearing to hover over the city skyline.

"I believe the lasting influence of this photo is due to the way it expresses an notion about residing in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both in the city and separate from it," commented a head of an architectural firm and educator at a major university.

Historic Recognition

The home has enjoyed memorable features in film, television and 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.

Coming Ownership

The home continues to be open for public viewings, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all slots are currently reserved through February. In their statement announcing the sale, the family said they would give "ample notice" before stopping the tours.

The sales details for the home emphasizes finding a purchaser who will maintain the essence of the space.

"For collectors of architecture, advocates of building, or institutions seeking to preserve an American masterpiece, there is simply no equal," the details read. "This is more than a transaction; it is a handover of custody – a quest for the next custodian who will honor the house’s history, respect its architectural purity, and secure its protection for future generations."

The specialist affirmed that the decision of buyer would be a crucial one, given the home’s history.

"I think any time a longtime owner, and a custodianship like this, is transferring hands of a residence like this, it always causes a little bit of a concern – because you never know what the next owner, what their plans will be. And do they grasp and appreciate the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"