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The renowned Stahl house, a quintessential example of mid-century modern architecture, is currently listed for the first time in its whole history.

This suspended dwelling, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, appeared on the listings this recent week. The listing price stands at an impressive $25 million.

Family Decision to Sell

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the home for its entire 65-year timeline, released a declaration regarding their choice to sell. They expressed that the house had proven increasingly challenging to maintain.

"This house has been the core of our lives for many years, but as we’ve aged, it has become increasingly challenging to maintain it with the attention and vigor it so richly deserves," commented the offspring of the first owners.

They further stated that the moment had emerged to find a new "guardian" for the house – "an individual who not only recognizes its architectural significance but also comprehends its position in the cultural landscape of LA and further afield."

Unassuming Inception

The beginnings of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the initial owners acquired a mountainous patch of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a well-known representation of the city, the owners often stressed that "no celebrities ever lived here," describing themselves as a "working-class family living in a white-collar house."

Construction Feat

The first design for the Stahl house was created during the warm season of 1956. However, many architects were initially hesitant to erect it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the owners met with architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to take on the challenge. With assistance from the influential Case Study program, spearheaded by a leading magazine editor, the family received support to commission Koenig.

The modernist program "centered around trial and error" and "using new materials and constructing in places that maybe previously the engineering didn’t really enable," commented an expert from a city heritage organization. "Each of these factors are wrapped up into a site like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, contemporary and unthinkable in terms of how it was built on that location that everyone else thought, at the time, was impossible to build."

Realization and Iconic Impact

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and building started in May 1959. According to the residents, construction totaled "just $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The final product was "an idealized version of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the authority noted.

Soon after the build ended, a renowned architectural photographer shot what is arguably the most iconic image of the home. Captured through the enormous glass windows, the photograph shows two women seated in the home’s living room but looking to float over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I believe the enduring influence of that photograph is due to the way it communicates an notion about dwelling in Los Angeles, an duality about being both metropolitan and separate from it," commented a founder of an architectural practice and lecturer at a prominent university.

Historic Designation

The home has had historic features in cinema, television and videos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Next Stewardship

The home is still open for tours, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all slots are currently fully booked through February. In their release concerning the sale, the family said they would give "ample notice" before discontinuing the tours.

The listing for the home emphasizes finding a new owner who will conserve the essence of the space.

"For collectors of style, supporters of architecture, or organizations seeking to protect an iconic work, there is simply no equal," the details read. "This is more than a purchase; it is a transfer of stewardship – a quest for the next custodian who will respect the house’s past, value its architectural purity, and secure its conservation for future generations."

The authority agreed that the selection of purchaser would be a crucial one, given the home’s past.

"I believe any time a original family, and a stewardship like this, is being sold of a home like this, it always causes a little bit of a hesitation – because you never know what the next owner, what their plans will be. And will they comprehend and value the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"