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

This suspended residence, situated in the Hollywood Hills area, appeared on the real estate market this recent week. The asking price stands at a notable $25 million.

Owners Decision to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have held title to the property for its entire 65-year history, released a statement regarding their decision to sell. They stated that the property had become too difficult to care for.

"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 care and effort it so rightfully warrants," stated the offspring of the initial owners.

They added that the moment had come to find a new "guardian" for the house – "an individual who not only recognizes its architectural importance but also understands its place in the cultural fabric of LA and beyond."

Humble Beginnings

The beginnings of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the initial owners acquired a hilly parcel of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a renowned symbol of the city, the owners often emphasized that "nobody famous ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "average family living in a luxury house."

Design Undertaking

The original design for the Stahl house was developed during the warm season of 1956. However, many builders were originally wary to build it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to take on the challenge. With assistance from the prominent Case Study program, pioneered by a key magazine editor, the family received subsidies to engage Koenig.

The contemporary program "was about trial and error" and "employing new building materials and building in places that maybe earlier the technology didn’t really permit," stated an authority from a local preservation society. "Each of these factors are wrapped up into a site like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and unimaginable in terms of how it was built on that location that everyone else believed, at the time, was unbuildable."

Finalization and Famous Influence

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and building began in May 1959. According to the residents, construction amounted to "only $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The outcome was "a perfect representation of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after completion, a renowned architectural photographer shot what is perhaps the most well-known picture of the home. Taken through the full-length glass windows, the image shows two women sitting in the home’s living room but appearing to hover over the LA skyline.

"I believe the lasting effect of this image is due to the way it communicates an concept about living in Los Angeles, an duality about being both metropolitan and removed from it," commented a founder of an architectural company and adjunct professor at a major university.

Historic Recognition

The home has made notable appearances in movies, television and promos, including several well-known titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city designated the Stahl house a historic-cultural landmark, and in 2013, the house was added as a preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next Stewardship

The home continues to be open for tours, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all tours are currently fully booked through February. In their statement announcing the sale, the family stated they would give "ample notice" before discontinuing the tours.

The listing for the home emphasizes finding a purchaser who will preserve the character of the space.

"For enthusiasts of architecture, advocates of design, or organizations seeking to preserve an American masterpiece, there is simply no equal," the listing say. "This is more than a purchase; it is a passing of responsibility – a quest for the next steward who will respect the house’s legacy, value its original vision, and guarantee its preservation for future generations."

The expert concurred that the selection of new owner would be a crucial one, given the home’s legacy.

"I believe any time a long-term steward, and a guardianship like this, is transferring hands of a home like this, it always causes a little bit of a hesitation – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their aims will be. And do they grasp and appreciate the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"