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The celebrated Stahl house, a epitome of modernist design, is currently listed for the first time in its whole history.

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

Stewards Move to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have owned the property for its complete 65-year history, released a statement regarding their resolution to sell. They stated that the dwelling had become increasingly challenging to upkeep.

"This house has been the heart of our lives for many years, but as we’ve aged, it has become more difficult to care for it with the care and effort it so rightfully warrants," commented the descendants of the first owners.

They further stated that the time had emerged to find a new "custodian" for the house – "a person who not only appreciates its design legacy but also grasps its role in the cultural history of LA and further afield."

Humble Origins

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

Despite the Stahl house growing into a famous symbol of the city, the residents often pointed out that "nobody famous ever lived here," describing themselves as a "average family living in a luxury house."

Design Undertaking

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

In November 1957, the owners interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to take on the task. With support from the influential Case Study program, spearheaded by a prominent magazine editor, the owners received support to hire Koenig.

The modernist program "centered around experimentation" and "using new building materials and building in locations that maybe before the technology didn’t really allow," remarked an expert from a local preservation society. "All those things are integrated into a place like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, progressive and unthinkable in terms of how it was erected on that location that everyone else considered, at the time, was not feasible."

Finalization and Cultural Impact

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and construction started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction cost "only $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The outcome was "an idealized version of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the specialist added.

Soon after completion, a celebrated architectural photographer shot what is arguably the most well-known image of the home. Shot through the full-length glass windows, the photograph depicts two women sitting in the home’s living room but seeming to float over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I believe the long-standing influence of the photograph is due to the way it communicates an idea about residing in Los Angeles, an duality about being both in the city and separate from it," stated a principal of an architectural practice and lecturer at a prominent university.

Historic Status

The home has had memorable cameos in movies, television and music videos, 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 protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next Custodianship

The home is still open for public viewings, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all appointments are currently fully booked through February. In their statement regarding the sale, the family indicated they would give "ample notice" before stopping the tours.

The listing for the home highlights finding a purchaser who will preserve the character of the space.

"For enthusiasts of architecture, advocates of design, or entities seeking to safeguard an iconic work, there is simply no parallel," the details state. "This goes beyond a purchase; it is a transfer of stewardship – a search for the next guardian who will celebrate the house’s past, appreciate its original vision, and guarantee its preservation for generations to come."

The authority concurred that the choice of new owner would be a critical one, given the home’s past.

"I believe any time a original family, and a stewardship like this, is being sold of a home like this, it always creates a little bit of a concern – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their aims will be. And will they comprehend and value the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"