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

This overhanging home, perched in the Hollywood Hills, hit the listings this week. The asking price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Stewards Move to Sell

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the residence for its complete 65-year timeline, shared a declaration regarding their resolution to sell. They expressed that the house had become excessively demanding to maintain.

"This residence has been the heart of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become progressively harder to maintain it with the care and energy it so truly merits," commented the descendants of the initial owners.

They continued that the period had come to find a new "custodian" for the house – "a person who not only appreciates its architectural significance but also grasps its position in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and elsewhere."

Modest Inception

The inception of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the initial owners acquired a mountainous patch of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a famous representation of the city, the residents often stressed that "no famous individuals ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "working-class family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Design Feat

The original design for the Stahl house was conceived during the summer months of 1956. However, many designers were initially reluctant to erect it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the owners met with architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to take on the challenge. With assistance from the notable Case Study program, pioneered by a key magazine editor, the owners received subsidies to commission Koenig.

The contemporary program "was about innovation" and "utilizing new materials and constructing in sites that maybe previously the technology didn’t really allow," commented an authority from a regional heritage organization. "All those things are wrapped up into a site like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, modern and inconceivable in terms of how it was built on that plot that everyone else considered, at the time, was not feasible."

Finalization and Cultural Influence

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and work commenced in May 1959. According to the owners, construction amounted to "just $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The result was "an idealized version of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after the build ended, a famous architectural photographer shot what is arguably the most iconic picture of the home. Shot through the full-length glass windows, the photo shows two women positioned in the home’s living room but appearing to hover over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I think the lasting impact of this photo is due to the way it expresses an idea about residing in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both in the city and separate from it," commented a founder of an architectural practice and educator at a leading university.

Historic Status

The home has enjoyed memorable features in cinema, broadcast and promos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city declared the Stahl house a protected monument, and in 2013, the house was listed as a preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Stewardship

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

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

"For connoisseurs of style, patrons of building, or entities seeking to protect an national treasure, there is simply no parallel," the description say. "This is not merely a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a hunt for the next guardian who will celebrate the house’s legacy, value its design integrity, and guarantee its protection for future generations."

The specialist concurred that the choice of buyer would be a critical one, given the home’s history.

"In my view any time a longtime owner, and a custodianship like this, is transferring hands of a home like this, it always causes a little bit of a hesitation – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their aims will be. And will they grasp and cherish the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"