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The famous Stahl house, a quintessential example of modernist design, is up for sale for the initial occasion in its whole history.

This cantilevered home, situated in the Hollywood Hills area, appeared on the real estate market this recent week. The asking price stands at an impressive $25 million.

Stewards Move to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have held title to the home for its entire 65-year history, shared a statement regarding their resolution to sell. They stated that the dwelling had grown too difficult to upkeep.

"This house has been the heart of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve aged, it has become progressively harder to care for it with the care and energy it so truly merits," wrote the descendants of the initial owners.

They further stated that the moment had arrived to find a new "guardian" for the house – "someone who not only appreciates its architectural significance but also understands its role in the cultural history of the city and elsewhere."

Humble Beginnings

The origins of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the original owners purchased a hilly parcel of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

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

Construction Undertaking

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

In November 1957, the owners interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to accept the project. With support from the notable Case Study program, spearheaded by a leading magazine editor, the Stahls received subsidies to engage Koenig.

The progressive program "was about trial and error" and "using new resources and building in sites that maybe previously the engineering didn’t really allow," commented an expert from a regional preservation society. "Each of these factors are wrapped up into a place like the Stahl house, which was innovative, modern and unimaginable in terms of how it was built on that plot that everyone else thought, at the time, was unbuildable."

Finalization and Famous Impact

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and construction commenced in May 1959. According to the residents, construction amounted to "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 specialist commented.

Soon after the build ended, a renowned architectural photographer took what is perhaps the most well-known image of the home. Captured through the full-length glass windows, the photo features two women seated in the home’s living room but looking to levitate over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I believe the enduring impact of the photo is due to the way it conveys an idea about dwelling in Los Angeles, an duality about being both metropolitan and removed from it," said a founder of an architectural company and adjunct professor at a major university.

Cultural Designation

The home has had notable appearances in cinema, television and promos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city declared the Stahl house a historic-cultural landmark, and in 2013, the house was listed as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Custodianship

The home continues to be open for visits, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all tours are currently reserved 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 emphasizes finding a buyer who will maintain the essence of the space.

"For connoisseurs of design, supporters of building, or entities seeking to protect an national treasure, there is simply nothing comparable," the details state. "This is not merely a sale; it is a passing of responsibility – a search for the next custodian who will celebrate the house’s legacy, respect its architectural purity, and guarantee its preservation for future generations."

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

"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 pause – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their aims will be. And do they grasp and value the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"