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The renowned Stahl house, a quintessential example of mid-century modern architectural design, is now available for the very first time in its complete history.

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

Owners Choice to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have owned the home for its complete 65-year existence, shared a declaration regarding their choice to sell. They noted that the property had proven increasingly challenging to maintain.

"This home has been the core of our lives for many years, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become progressively harder to care for it with the care and effort it so truly merits," wrote the children of the first owners.

They continued that the moment had arrived to find a new "custodian" for the house – "an individual who not only recognizes its design legacy but also understands its place in the cultural history of Los Angeles and beyond."

Modest Beginnings

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

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

Construction Undertaking

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

In November 1957, the Stahls interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to take on the challenge. With assistance from the influential Case Study program, led by a key magazine editor, the owners received support to hire Koenig.

The progressive program "focused on experimentation" and "using new resources and building in locations that maybe before the technology didn’t really permit," remarked an specialist from a local conservancy. "All these elements are combined into a place like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, contemporary and unthinkable in terms of how it was erected on that site that everyone else believed, at the time, was unbuildable."

Finalization and Cultural Impact

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and construction started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction cost "a mere $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The result was "a perfect representation of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the expert commented.

Soon after completion, a renowned architectural photographer took what is perhaps the most iconic photograph of the home. Shot through the full-length glass windows, the photo features two women sitting in the home’s living room but looking to float over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I think the enduring effect of that photo is due to the way it communicates an notion about residing in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both in the city and removed from it," said a founder of an architectural practice and adjunct professor at a major university.

Protected Recognition

The home has made memorable cameos in movies, television and music videos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Coming Stewardship

The home continues to be open for public viewings, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all appointments are currently reserved through February. In their release regarding the sale, the family indicated they would give "ample notice" before stopping the tours.

The listing for the home highlights finding a purchaser who will conserve the essence of the space.

"For enthusiasts of style, supporters of architecture, or institutions seeking to safeguard an iconic work, there is simply no parallel," the details read. "This goes beyond a sale; it is a handover of custody – a quest for the next steward who will honor the house’s past, respect its architectural purity, and secure its conservation for future generations."

The authority concurred that the choice of buyer would be a crucial one, given the home’s legacy.

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