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The celebrated Stahl house, a epitome of mid-century modern architecture, is now available for the first time in its whole history.

This cantilevered dwelling, situated in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, appeared on the market this week. The asking price stands at a notable $25 million.

Family Decision to Part With

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the property for its complete 65-year timeline, issued a announcement regarding their decision to sell. They stated that the property had proven increasingly challenging to maintain.

"This residence has been the center of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become more difficult to maintain it with the attention and vigor it so richly deserves," stated the children of the original owners.

They further stated that the moment had come to find a new "custodian" for the house – "an individual who not only recognizes its architectural importance but also understands its place in the cultural landscape of LA and beyond."

Humble Beginnings

The origins of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the initial owners bought a mountainous parcel of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

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

Design Challenge

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

In November 1957, the Stahls consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to accept the project. With backing from the prominent Case Study program, pioneered by a leading magazine editor, the owners received subsidies to engage Koenig.

The progressive program "was about experimentation" and "employing new materials and erecting in sites that maybe earlier the techniques didn’t really allow," remarked an authority from a city preservation society. "All these elements are wrapped up into a property like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, modern and unthinkable in terms of how it was built on that plot that everyone else thought, at the time, was not feasible."

Finalization and Cultural Legacy

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and construction began in May 1959. According to the residents, construction cost "just $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The outcome was "an idealized version of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the authority commented.

Soon after completion, a celebrated architectural photographer shot what is perhaps the most famous photograph of the home. Shot through the full-length glass windows, the photo depicts two women seated in the home’s living room but seeming to hover over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I believe the enduring effect of this photograph is due to the way it expresses an notion about living in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both metropolitan and removed from it," commented a founder of an architectural firm and adjunct professor at a major university.

Historic Status

The home has made memorable features in cinema, TV and promos, including several well-known 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 included as a preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Stewardship

The home continues to be open for public viewings, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all slots are currently fully booked through February. In their announcement concerning the sale, the family said they would give "ample notice" before discontinuing the tours.

The sales details for the home stresses finding a purchaser who will conserve the essence of the space.

"For connoisseurs of style, advocates of building, or organizations seeking to safeguard an national treasure, there is simply no parallel," the listing say. "This is not merely a purchase; it is a transfer of stewardship – a search for the next custodian who will celebrate the house’s history, appreciate its design integrity, and secure its preservation for generations to come."

The specialist agreed that the decision of new owner would be a vital one, given the home’s legacy.

"I think any time a long-term steward, and a stewardship like this, is being sold of a residence like this, it always causes a little bit of a concern – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And do they understand and cherish the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"