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The renowned Stahl house, a paragon of mid-century modern architectural design, is currently listed for the initial occasion in its entire history.

This overhanging home, nestled in the Hollywood Hills area, hit the listings this week. The asking price stands at an impressive $25 million.

Owners Move to Part With

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the property for its entire 65-year history, issued a declaration regarding their choice to sell. They stated that the house had proven too difficult to upkeep.

"This house has been the heart of our lives for decades, but as we’ve grown older, it has become more difficult to look after it with the attention and effort it so rightfully warrants," wrote the offspring of the first owners.

They continued that the period had emerged to find a new "guardian" for the house – "someone who not only values its design legacy but also grasps its position in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and beyond."

Humble Beginnings

The beginnings of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the original owners purchased a mountainous patch of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a renowned representation of the city, the family often emphasized that "no celebrities ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Construction Challenge

The initial design for the Stahl house was created during the warm season of 1956. However, many builders were initially hesitant to construct it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the owners interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to take on the challenge. With backing from the notable Case Study program, pioneered by a leading magazine editor, the family received support to engage Koenig.

The progressive program "centered around experimentation" and "utilizing new resources and constructing in locations that maybe before the engineering didn’t really enable," commented an specialist from a city heritage organization. "All those things are integrated into a site like the Stahl house, which was innovative, modern and unimaginable in terms of how it was constructed on that location that everyone else believed, at the time, was unbuildable."

Realization and Famous Impact

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and construction started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction totaled "a mere $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The result was "a perfect representation of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the expert added.

Soon after the build ended, a famous architectural photographer shot what is perhaps the most famous picture of the home. Taken through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the image features two women positioned in the home’s living room but looking to hover over the city skyline.

"In my opinion the lasting effect of that image is due to the way it communicates an concept about living in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both metropolitan and removed from it," stated a principal of an architectural company and lecturer at a leading university.

Cultural Designation

The home has made memorable features in movies, TV and videos, including several well-known titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Next Custodianship

The home continues to be open for visits, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all appointments are currently sold out through February. In their announcement announcing the sale, the family indicated they would give "plenty of advance notice" before stopping the tours.

The property description for the home emphasizes finding a purchaser who will conserve the spirit of the space.

"For enthusiasts of architecture, advocates of design, or organizations seeking to protect an American masterpiece, there is simply nothing comparable," the description say. "This is not merely a sale; it is a handover of custody – a hunt for the next guardian who will celebrate the house’s history, respect its design integrity, and secure its protection for future generations."

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

"I think any time a original family, and a guardianship 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 can they understand and appreciate the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"