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The renowned Stahl house, a epitome of modernist architecture, is currently listed for the initial occasion in its complete history.

This cantilevered residence, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, was listed on the listings this week. The asking price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Owners Decision to Part With

The Stahl family, who have owned the home for its full 65-year existence, released a declaration regarding their choice to sell. They expressed that the dwelling had become increasingly challenging to care for.

"This residence has been the center of our lives for many years, but as we’ve aged, it has become more difficult to maintain it with the dedication and energy it so truly merits," commented the children of the first owners.

They added that the time had emerged to find a new "custodian" for the house – "an individual who not only values its design legacy but also comprehends its place in the cultural fabric of the city and elsewhere."

Modest Origins

The origins of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the first owners purchased a hilly plot of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a well-known symbol of the city, the residents often pointed out that "nobody famous ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "average family living in a white-collar house."

Architectural Undertaking

The original design for the Stahl house was created during the summer of 1956. However, many builders were at first reluctant to erect it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls met with architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to undertake the challenge. With backing from the prominent Case Study program, spearheaded by a prominent magazine editor, the Stahls received subsidies to hire Koenig.

The contemporary program "centered around trial and error" and "utilizing new resources and building in places that maybe previously the techniques didn’t really enable," stated an specialist from a local conservancy. "All these elements are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and unthinkable in terms of how it was built on that plot that everyone else thought, at the time, was not feasible."

Completion and Cultural Legacy

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and work began in May 1959. According to the residents, construction totaled "just $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The outcome was "the ultimate vision of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the specialist added.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer shot what is arguably the most well-known picture of the home. Shot through the enormous glass windows, the photo shows two women seated in the home’s living room but appearing to hover over the LA skyline.

"I think the lasting effect of this photograph is due to the way it expresses an concept about living in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both urban and detached from it," said a principal of an architectural company and lecturer at a major university.

Historic Status

The home has had memorable cameos in cinema, TV and music videos, including several well-known titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city declared the Stahl house a heritage site, and in 2013, the house was included as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next Ownership

The home remains open for public viewings, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all tours are currently reserved through February. In their release regarding the sale, the family stated they would give "sufficient warning" before discontinuing the tours.

The listing for the home stresses finding a new owner who will maintain the spirit of the space.

"For collectors of architecture, supporters of design, or organizations seeking to safeguard an iconic work, there is simply no equal," the listing read. "This is not merely a purchase; it is a passing of responsibility – a quest for the next steward who will honor the house’s past, value its original vision, and secure its protection for future generations."

The authority agreed that the choice of purchaser would be a vital one, given the home’s history.

"I think any time a original family, 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 can they understand and value the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"