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

This suspended residence, perched in the Hollywood Hills area, hit the listings this recent week. The asking price stands at an impressive $25 million.

Family Move to Part With

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the property for its full 65-year existence, issued a statement regarding their choice to sell. They noted that the property had proven too difficult to maintain.

"This house has been the core of our lives for many years, but as we’ve grown older, it has become increasingly challenging to look after it with the care and energy it so truly merits," wrote the children of the initial owners.

They continued that the period had come to find a new "custodian" for the house – "a person who not only values its architectural significance but also understands its position in the cultural history of the city and further afield."

Unassuming Origins

The beginnings of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the original owners purchased a hilly plot of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a renowned representation of the city, the residents often emphasized that "nobody famous ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "working-class family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Design Challenge

The original design for the Stahl house was created during the summer months of 1956. However, many designers were originally reluctant to erect it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to undertake the challenge. With backing from the prominent Case Study program, led by a key magazine editor, the owners received support to engage Koenig.

The progressive program "focused on innovation" and "utilizing new building materials and constructing in sites that maybe earlier the engineering didn’t really enable," commented an specialist from a local preservation society. "All these elements are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, progressive and inconceivable in terms of how it was built on that site that everyone else considered, at the time, was unbuildable."

Finalization and Famous Impact

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and construction started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction totaled "only $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The final product was "the ultimate vision of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the authority added.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer captured what is arguably the most well-known picture of the home. Shot through the enormous glass windows, the photograph features two women sitting in the home’s living room but appearing to levitate over the city skyline.

"I think the enduring impact of the photo is due to the way it communicates an notion about living in Los Angeles, an duality about being both metropolitan and detached from it," stated a principal of an architectural firm and educator at a prominent university.

Historic Designation

The home has made historic features in movies, TV and music videos, including several well-known titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city recognized 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.

Future Ownership

The home is still open for public viewings, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all slots are currently fully booked through February. In their release announcing the sale, the family indicated they would give "ample notice" before discontinuing the tours.

The sales details for the home stresses finding a buyer who will conserve the essence of the space.

"For enthusiasts of design, advocates of building, or institutions seeking to protect an iconic work, there is simply no equal," the description say. "This is not merely a purchase; it is a transfer of stewardship – a hunt for the next steward who will honor the house’s past, respect its architectural purity, and guarantee its conservation for generations to come."

The specialist agreed that the choice of buyer would be a vital one, given the home’s history.

"In my view any time a long-term steward, and a guardianship like this, is being sold of a residence like this, it always causes a little bit of a concern – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their plans will be. And will they understand and appreciate the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"