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The renowned Stahl house, a quintessential example of modernist architecture, is now available for the very first time in its complete history.

This overhanging residence, situated in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, appeared on the market this recent week. The listing price stands at a notable $25 million.

Owners Decision to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have owned the property for its complete 65-year existence, released a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the property had become too difficult to upkeep.

"This home has been the heart of our lives for many years, but as we’ve grown older, it has become progressively harder to look after it with the dedication and vigor it so rightfully warrants," wrote the offspring of the original owners.

They added that the period had emerged to find a new "guardian" for the house – "someone who not only values its architectural importance but also grasps its position in the cultural history of LA and beyond."

Humble Origins

The inception of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the first owners purchased a sloped parcel of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a famous representation of the city, the family often pointed out that "nobody famous ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "working-class family living in a white-collar house."

Design Undertaking

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

In November 1957, the Stahls consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to take on the project. With backing from the prominent Case Study program, spearheaded by a prominent magazine editor, the owners received financial aid to engage Koenig.

The contemporary program "centered around experimentation" and "utilizing new building materials and building in locations that maybe earlier the techniques didn’t really allow," stated an authority from a local preservation society. "Each of these factors are combined into a site like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, progressive and inconceivable 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 was designated Case Study house No. 22, and building started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction amounted to "just $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The outcome was "an idealized version of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after construction was finished, a celebrated architectural photographer took what is possibly the most well-known photograph of the home. Captured through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photograph features two women positioned in the home’s living room but looking to float over the city skyline.

"In my opinion the long-standing impact of that image is due to the way it expresses an notion about dwelling in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both in the city and separate from it," said a head of an architectural practice and adjunct professor at a prominent university.

Protected Recognition

The home has enjoyed notable features in movies, TV and music videos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Future Ownership

The home is still open for visits, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all tours are currently sold out through February. In their release announcing the sale, the family indicated they would give "plenty of advance notice" before discontinuing the tours.

The property description for the home emphasizes finding a new owner who will conserve the character of the space.

"For collectors of style, advocates of building, or entities seeking to preserve an American masterpiece, there is simply no equal," the description read. "This goes beyond a purchase; it is a handover of custody – a hunt for the next steward who will celebrate the house’s legacy, respect its architectural purity, and guarantee its conservation for future generations."

The expert affirmed that the selection of buyer would be a vital one, given the home’s past.

"I think any time a long-term steward, and a stewardship like this, is being sold 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 aims will be. And can they comprehend and appreciate the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"