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The renowned Stahl house, a quintessential example of midcentury modern architectural design, is up for sale for the initial occasion in its whole history.

This overhanging residence, situated in the Hollywood Hills area, was listed on the real estate market this past week. The listing price stands at a notable $25 million.

Family Choice to Part With

The Stahl family, who have held title to the home for its entire 65-year existence, released a announcement regarding their choice to sell. They noted that the property had grown increasingly challenging to care for.

"This residence has been the core of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve grown older, it has become progressively harder to maintain it with the dedication and vigor it so truly merits," commented the children of the original owners.

They further stated that the period had arrived to find a new "steward" for the house – "an individual who not only appreciates its architectural significance but also grasps its role in the cultural landscape of the city and elsewhere."

Humble Inception

The origins of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the first owners bought a hilly plot of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a renowned symbol of the city, the owners often stressed that "no famous individuals ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "working-class family living in a luxury house."

Architectural Undertaking

The initial design for the Stahl house was conceived during the summer of 1956. However, many designers were at first reluctant to erect it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the family met with architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to accept the project. With backing from the notable Case Study program, led by a leading magazine editor, the family received support to hire Koenig.

The contemporary program "was about innovation" and "employing new building materials and building in places that maybe before the technology didn’t really allow," remarked an specialist from a local conservancy. "Each of these factors are combined into a site like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, contemporary and unthinkable in terms of how it was built on that plot that everyone else considered, at the time, was not feasible."

Finalization and Cultural Influence

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and work began in May 1959. According to the residents, construction cost "only $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The result was "a perfect representation of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the authority noted.

Soon after the build ended, a famous architectural photographer shot what is perhaps the most famous picture of the home. Shot through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photo shows two women positioned in the home’s living room but seeming to levitate over the LA skyline.

"I think the enduring impact of that photo is due to the way it expresses an concept about dwelling in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both urban and removed from it," stated a founder of an architectural company and lecturer at a prominent university.

Cultural Designation

The home has made historic features in cinema, TV and music videos, including several well-known 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 added as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Ownership

The home is still open for tours, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all slots are currently reserved through February. In their announcement concerning the sale, the family said they would give "sufficient warning" before ending the tours.

The sales details for the home stresses finding a buyer who will maintain the spirit of the space.

"For connoisseurs of style, patrons of architecture, or organizations seeking to protect an American masterpiece, there is simply no equal," the listing say. "This goes beyond a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a search for the next guardian who will honor the house’s past, appreciate its architectural purity, and ensure its conservation for posterity."

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

"I believe any time a longtime owner, and a guardianship like this, is being sold of a property like this, it always causes a little bit of a concern – because you never know what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And can they understand and cherish the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"