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The celebrated Stahl house, a epitome of modernist design, is now available for the initial occasion in its entire history.

This suspended residence, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, appeared on the market this recent week. The asking price stands at an impressive $25 million.

Family Decision to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have owned the property for its complete 65-year timeline, shared a declaration regarding their choice to sell. They expressed that the house had proven too difficult to care for.

"This residence has been the core of our lives for decades, but as we’ve grown older, it has become increasingly challenging to look after it with the care and effort it so truly merits," commented the descendants of the first owners.

They continued that the period had come to find a new "guardian" for the house – "someone who not only recognizes its design legacy but also understands its role in the cultural fabric of the city and beyond."

Unassuming Inception

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

Despite the Stahl house growing into a renowned representation of the city, the family often stressed that "nobody famous ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "working-class family living in a white-collar house."

Architectural Undertaking

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

In November 1957, the family interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to accept the project. With backing from the prominent Case Study program, pioneered by a leading magazine editor, the family received support to commission Koenig.

The contemporary program "centered around trial and error" and "employing new materials and building in places that maybe earlier the technology didn’t really enable," commented an expert from a city preservation society. "Each of these factors are combined into a site like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, contemporary and unthinkable in terms of how it was constructed on that plot that everyone else thought, at the time, was impossible to build."

Finalization and Iconic Impact

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and construction started in May 1959. According to the family, construction cost "just $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The result was "a perfect representation of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the specialist added.

Soon after the build ended, a famous architectural photographer shot what is arguably the most famous photograph of the home. Captured through the enormous glass windows, the photo depicts two women positioned in the home’s living room but looking to hover over the LA skyline.

"In my opinion the long-standing effect of that photo is due to the way it conveys an notion about living in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both in the city and separate from it," commented a principal of an architectural company and adjunct professor at a prominent university.

Historic Recognition

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

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

Coming Ownership

The home remains open for visits, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all slots are currently reserved through February. In their announcement announcing the sale, the family stated they would give "plenty of advance notice" before ending the tours.

The property description for the home stresses finding a new owner who will preserve the essence of the space.

"For enthusiasts of style, patrons of design, or organizations seeking to safeguard an national treasure, there is simply no equal," the description say. "This goes beyond a sale; it is a passing of responsibility – a search for the next steward who will respect the house’s history, respect its original vision, and ensure its preservation for generations to come."

The specialist affirmed that the choice of purchaser would be a vital one, given the home’s legacy.

"I think any time a longtime owner, and a stewardship like this, is transferring hands of a property like this, it always gives us a little bit of a hesitation – because you never know what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And will they understand and value the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"