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

This cantilevered home, situated in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, hit the real estate market this past week. The asking price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Family Choice to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have held title to the residence for its complete 65-year history, shared a statement regarding their choice to sell. They stated that the house had become excessively demanding to maintain.

"This residence has been the center of our lives for decades, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become progressively harder to look after it with the dedication and energy it so truly merits," wrote the children of the initial owners.

They further stated that the moment had emerged to find a new "steward" for the house – "someone who not only recognizes its architectural significance but also grasps its role in the cultural fabric of the city and beyond."

Unassuming Inception

The beginnings of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the initial owners bought a hilly plot 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 family often pointed out that "nobody famous ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a white-collar house."

Architectural Feat

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

In November 1957, the Stahls met with architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to take on the challenge. With support from the prominent Case Study program, pioneered by a leading magazine editor, the Stahls received subsidies to engage Koenig.

The progressive program "focused on innovation" and "employing new materials and erecting in places that maybe before the engineering didn’t really enable," commented an specialist from a regional conservancy. "All these elements are integrated into a site like the Stahl house, which was innovative, modern and inconceivable in terms of how it was erected on that location that everyone else thought, at the time, was not feasible."

Realization and Cultural Impact

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and work started in May 1959. According to the residents, construction totaled "just $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The outcome was "the ultimate vision of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the authority added.

Soon after the build ended, a celebrated architectural photographer took what is possibly the most iconic photograph of the home. Taken through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the image shows two women seated in the home’s living room but appearing to levitate over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I believe the lasting impact of the photograph is due to the way it communicates an concept about living in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both in the city and detached from it," commented a founder of an architectural practice and lecturer at a leading university.

Protected Designation

The home has enjoyed notable features in film, broadcast and videos, including several famous 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.

Coming Ownership

The home remains open for public viewings, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all tours are currently fully booked through February. In their announcement regarding the sale, the family stated they would give "plenty of advance notice" before stopping the tours.

The sales details for the home stresses finding a purchaser who will conserve the spirit of the space.

"For collectors of style, supporters of building, or institutions seeking to protect an American masterpiece, there is simply no parallel," the description say. "This is not merely a sale; it is a passing of responsibility – a hunt for the next custodian who will celebrate the house’s history, appreciate its original vision, and ensure its conservation for generations to come."

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

"In my view any time a longtime owner, and a custodianship like this, is being sold of a residence like this, it always creates a little bit of a concern – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their plans will be. And do they understand and cherish the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"