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The famous Stahl house, a quintessential example of mid-century modern design, is now available for the initial occasion in its whole history.

This suspended home, perched in the Hollywood Hills area, hit the real estate market this past week. The asking price stands at an impressive $25 million.

Family Move to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the property for its complete 65-year existence, shared a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the house had proven excessively demanding to care for.

"This house has been the heart of our lives for many years, but as we’ve aged, it has become more difficult to look after it with the attention and effort it so rightfully warrants," commented the children of the original owners.

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

Unassuming Beginnings

The beginnings of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the first owners acquired a hilly patch of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a well-known representation of the city, the owners often pointed out that "nobody famous ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "working-class family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Architectural Feat

The initial design for the Stahl house was developed during the warm season of 1956. However, many builders were originally wary to construct it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the family met with architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to undertake the challenge. With support from the prominent Case Study program, led by a prominent magazine editor, the owners received subsidies to commission Koenig.

The contemporary program "centered around innovation" and "using new resources and building in locations that maybe before the engineering didn’t really permit," stated an authority from a local preservation society. "All those things are combined into a site like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, progressive and unimaginable in terms of how it was erected on that site that everyone else thought, at the time, was impossible to build."

Realization and Iconic Impact

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and building started in May 1959. According to the family, construction amounted to "a mere $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The final product was "the ultimate vision of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the expert noted.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer took what is possibly the most iconic photograph of the home. Shot through the full-length glass windows, the image depicts two women sitting in the home’s living room but seeming to hover over the Los Angeles skyline.

"In my opinion the long-standing impact of that photo is due to the way it communicates an notion about dwelling in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both in the city and separate from it," commented a head of an architectural practice and adjunct professor at a prominent university.

Historic Designation

The home has enjoyed memorable features in cinema, TV and videos, including several popular titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city recognized the Stahl house a heritage site, and in 2013, the house was included as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Stewardship

The home is still open for public viewings, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all slots are currently fully booked through February. In their statement concerning the sale, the family indicated they would give "sufficient warning" before ending the tours.

The sales details for the home highlights finding a buyer who will maintain the character of the space.

"For connoisseurs of architecture, patrons of architecture, or entities seeking to preserve an American masterpiece, there is simply no equal," the description read. "This goes beyond a purchase; it is a handover of custody – a search for the next custodian who will respect the house’s past, respect its original vision, and ensure its preservation for future generations."

The expert agreed that the selection of buyer would be a critical one, given the home’s legacy.

"In my view any time a long-term steward, and a custodianship like this, is transferring hands of a residence like this, it always causes a little bit of a hesitation – because you never know what the next owner, what their plans will be. And will they comprehend and appreciate the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"