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The celebrated Stahl house, a quintessential example of mid-century modern architectural design, is now available for the first time in its whole history.

This cantilevered dwelling, perched in the Hollywood Hills area, hit the real estate market this past week. The asking price stands at a notable $25 million.

Family Choice to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the property for its complete 65-year existence, issued a announcement regarding their resolution to sell. They expressed that the dwelling had become increasingly challenging to upkeep.

"This house has been the heart of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve grown older, it has become more difficult to care for it with the care and energy it so truly merits," commented the offspring of the initial owners.

They further stated that the time had emerged to find a new "guardian" for the house – "someone who not only values its architectural importance but also understands its role in the cultural landscape of the city and beyond."

Unassuming Origins

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

Despite the Stahl house growing into a well-known symbol of the city, the residents often stressed that "no celebrities ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "working-class family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Architectural Undertaking

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

In November 1957, the family interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to accept the task. With support from the influential Case Study program, led by a leading magazine editor, the Stahls received financial aid to engage Koenig.

The progressive program "focused on trial and error" and "using new materials and constructing in places that maybe previously the techniques didn’t really permit," stated an specialist from a city conservancy. "Each of these factors are wrapped up into a site like the Stahl house, which was innovative, modern and unimaginable in terms of how it was erected on that location that everyone else believed, at the time, was impossible to build."

Realization and Famous Impact

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and construction commenced in May 1959. According to the residents, construction totaled "only $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The final product was "an idealized version of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the authority added.

Soon after completion, a famous architectural photographer captured what is possibly the most iconic picture of the home. Taken through the full-length glass windows, the photograph depicts two women sitting in the home’s living room but looking to levitate over the city skyline.

"I think the enduring impact of the image is due to the way it conveys an concept about dwelling in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both in the city and separate from it," commented a head of an architectural firm and adjunct professor at a leading university.

Historic Recognition

The home has had memorable features in film, TV and music videos, including several famous 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 preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Ownership

The home is still open for public viewings, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all appointments are currently sold out through February. In their release announcing the sale, the family stated they would give "sufficient warning" before ending the tours.

The listing for the home stresses finding a purchaser who will preserve the essence of the space.

"For collectors of design, advocates of architecture, or entities seeking to protect an iconic work, there is simply no parallel," the listing say. "This is not merely a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a hunt for the next steward who will celebrate the house’s past, respect its design integrity, and guarantee its protection for generations to come."

The authority affirmed that the decision of buyer would be a crucial one, given the home’s past.

"I think any time a longtime owner, and a guardianship like this, is transferring hands of a home like this, it always gives us a little bit of a concern – because you never know what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And can they understand and appreciate the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"