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The famous Stahl house, a paragon of midcentury modern design, is now available for the first time in its entire history.

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

Family Decision to Sell

The Stahl family, who have owned the property for its full 65-year timeline, issued a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They expressed that the dwelling had proven too difficult to maintain.

"This residence has been the center of our lives for many years, but as we’ve aged, it has become progressively harder to maintain it with the care and effort it so truly merits," stated the offspring of the first owners.

They further stated that the period had come to find a new "steward" for the house – "a person who not only appreciates its design legacy but also comprehends its position in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and further afield."

Humble Beginnings

The inception of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the original owners acquired a hilly parcel of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a renowned icon of the city, the residents often emphasized that "no famous individuals ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "average family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Construction Feat

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

In November 1957, the Stahls interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to accept the challenge. With assistance from the notable Case Study program, pioneered by a leading magazine editor, the owners received financial aid to engage Koenig.

The progressive program "focused on trial and error" and "using new materials and building in locations that maybe before the engineering didn’t really permit," remarked an specialist from a city conservancy. "Each of these factors are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, progressive and unimaginable in terms of how it was built on that site that everyone else considered, at the time, was unbuildable."

Realization and Cultural Impact

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and construction commenced in May 1959. According to the family, construction cost "a mere $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The outcome was "an idealized version of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the specialist commented.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer took what is perhaps the most famous picture of the home. Captured through the full-length glass windows, the photograph features two women seated in the home’s living room but seeming to float over the city skyline.

"In my opinion the enduring impact of this photograph is due to the way it conveys an concept about residing in Los Angeles, an duality about being both metropolitan and separate from it," said a founder of an architectural company and lecturer at a major university.

Historic Recognition

The home has enjoyed notable cameos in film, TV and music videos, including several popular titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Next Ownership

The home is still open for public viewings, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all tours are currently reserved through February. In their statement announcing the sale, the family stated they would give "sufficient warning" before stopping the tours.

The sales details for the home stresses finding a new owner who will conserve the spirit of the space.

"For enthusiasts of design, patrons of design, or institutions seeking to preserve an iconic work, there is simply no equal," the listing state. "This is more than a sale; it is a handover of custody – a quest for the next steward who will honor the house’s legacy, appreciate its original vision, and ensure its conservation for generations to come."

The expert agreed that the decision of purchaser would be a crucial one, given the home’s legacy.

"I think any time a long-term steward, and a custodianship like this, is transferring hands of a home like this, it always gives us a little bit of a pause – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their aims will be. And do they grasp and cherish the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"