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

This suspended home, nestled in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, was listed on the market this recent week. The asking price stands at a notable $25 million.

Owners Decision to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have owned the home for its entire 65-year history, shared a announcement regarding their resolution to sell. They expressed that the property had become excessively demanding to upkeep.

"This house has been the heart of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve grown older, it has become progressively harder to maintain it with the dedication and energy it so truly merits," stated the descendants of the original owners.

They further stated that the time had come to find a new "custodian" for the house – "a person who not only recognizes its architectural significance but also grasps its role in the cultural history of the city and elsewhere."

Modest Origins

The inception of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the initial owners purchased a hilly patch of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a renowned icon of the city, the owners often stressed that "no celebrities ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Architectural Undertaking

The initial design for the Stahl house was developed during the summer months of 1956. However, many builders were initially wary to erect it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the owners consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to undertake the task. With support from the prominent Case Study program, led by a key magazine editor, the owners received financial aid to commission Koenig.

The modernist program "focused on trial and error" and "using new resources and erecting in locations that maybe previously the engineering didn’t really allow," remarked an specialist from a city preservation society. "Each of these factors are integrated into a site like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, contemporary and inconceivable in terms of how it was built on that location that everyone else thought, at the time, was unbuildable."

Completion and Cultural Influence

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

Soon after the build ended, a renowned architectural photographer took what is arguably the most well-known photograph of the home. Taken through the full-length glass windows, the photo shows two women seated in the home’s living room but appearing to float over the city skyline.

"I believe the long-standing influence of that photo is due to the way it communicates an idea about living in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both metropolitan and removed from it," said a founder of an architectural practice and educator at a major university.

Cultural Status

The home has made historic appearances in cinema, broadcast and promos, including several well-known titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Coming Custodianship

The home continues to be open for tours, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all tours are currently sold out through February. In their announcement announcing the sale, the family stated they would give "plenty of advance notice" before discontinuing the tours.

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

"For enthusiasts of architecture, advocates of design, or organizations seeking to preserve an national treasure, there is simply nothing comparable," the description say. "This is not merely a sale; it is a passing of responsibility – a quest for the next guardian who will respect the house’s legacy, value its design integrity, and ensure its protection for generations to come."

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

"I think any time a original family, and a custodianship like this, is transferring hands of a property like this, it always causes a little bit of a pause – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their plans will be. And will they understand and appreciate the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"