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The renowned Stahl house, a paragon of modernist architectural design, is currently listed for the first time in its entire history.

This suspended residence, perched in the Hollywood Hills, hit the real estate market this past week. The listing price stands at an impressive $25 million.

Family Move to Part With

The Stahl family, who have owned the home for its complete 65-year timeline, issued a statement regarding their resolution to sell. They stated that the house had become too difficult to upkeep.

"This house has been the heart of our lives for decades, but as we’ve aged, it has become progressively harder to care for it with the dedication and effort it so richly deserves," commented the descendants of the initial owners.

They added that the time had emerged to find a new "guardian" for the house – "a person who not only recognizes its architectural importance but also understands its position in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and further afield."

Humble Beginnings

The inception of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the original owners purchased a hilly parcel of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a well-known icon of the city, the residents often pointed out that "no famous individuals ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a white-collar house."

Design Undertaking

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

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

The modernist program "was about trial and error" and "using new building materials and erecting in sites that maybe earlier the engineering didn’t really permit," stated an specialist from a regional heritage organization. "All these elements are wrapped up into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, contemporary and unthinkable in terms of how it was built on that site that everyone else believed, at the time, was not feasible."

Finalization and Iconic Impact

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and building started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction amounted to "just $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The final product was "a perfect representation of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the specialist commented.

Soon after completion, a famous architectural photographer took what is perhaps the most iconic photograph of the home. Shot through the enormous glass windows, the image depicts two women sitting in the home’s living room but looking to levitate over the LA skyline.

"I think the enduring effect of this image is due to the way it conveys an idea about dwelling in Los Angeles, an duality about being both metropolitan and separate from it," said a founder of an architectural practice and educator at a leading university.

Historic Recognition

The home has enjoyed historic features in film, TV and videos, including several popular titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city declared the Stahl house a heritage site, and in 2013, the house was included as a preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Ownership

The home is still open for tours, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all slots are currently sold out through February. In their announcement concerning the sale, the family indicated they would give "sufficient warning" before discontinuing the tours.

The sales details for the home highlights finding a new owner who will maintain the spirit of the space.

"For collectors of style, supporters of design, or organizations seeking to protect an American masterpiece, there is simply no equal," the description read. "This is not merely a sale; it is a handover of custody – a hunt for the next steward who will celebrate the house’s legacy, respect its design integrity, and ensure its preservation for generations to come."

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

"In my view any time a original family, and a guardianship like this, is changing ownership of a residence like this, it always creates a little bit of a pause – because you never know what the next owner, what their plans will be. And can they comprehend and value the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"