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The celebrated Stahl house, a quintessential example of midcentury modern architectural design, is up for sale for the first time in its whole history.

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

Family Decision to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have held title to the home for its entire 65-year history, shared a statement regarding their choice to sell. They stated that the property had proven increasingly challenging to upkeep.

"This house has been the center of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become more difficult to look after it with the care and vigor it so rightfully warrants," wrote the children of the first owners.

They continued that the moment had emerged to find a new "guardian" for the house – "someone who not only values its architectural significance but also understands its role in the cultural landscape of the city and elsewhere."

Unassuming Beginnings

The origins of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the initial owners bought a mountainous patch of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills district 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," describing themselves as a "working-class family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Design Challenge

The initial design for the Stahl house was developed during the summer months of 1956. However, many designers were initially wary to erect it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the family interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to accept the challenge. With backing from the notable Case Study program, pioneered by a key magazine editor, the owners received subsidies to hire Koenig.

The progressive program "centered around innovation" and "employing new building materials and erecting in locations that maybe before the engineering didn’t really enable," stated an authority from a city preservation society. "All those things are wrapped up into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, contemporary and unimaginable in terms of how it was erected on that site that everyone else thought, at the time, was unbuildable."

Finalization and Cultural Impact

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and building commenced in May 1959. According to the residents, construction amounted to "just $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The final product was "the ultimate vision of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the authority commented.

Soon after construction was finished, a celebrated architectural photographer took what is arguably the most iconic image of the home. Captured through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the image depicts two women sitting in the home’s living room but appearing to hover over the city skyline.

"I think the enduring impact of this photograph is due to the way it communicates an notion about living in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both metropolitan and detached from it," stated a founder of an architectural firm and lecturer at a major university.

Cultural Status

The home has had notable features in cinema, television 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 conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Ownership

The home is still open for visits, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all slots are currently reserved through February. In their release announcing the sale, the family indicated they would give "ample notice" before ending the tours.

The property description for the home emphasizes finding a purchaser who will maintain the character of the space.

"For enthusiasts of architecture, supporters of architecture, or institutions seeking to protect an national treasure, there is simply nothing comparable," the listing read. "This goes beyond a sale; it is a transfer of stewardship – a hunt for the next guardian who will respect the house’s history, value its architectural purity, and ensure its preservation for future generations."

The authority affirmed that the choice of buyer would be a critical one, given the home’s history.

"In my view any time a long-term steward, and a stewardship like this, is being sold of a residence like this, it always causes a little bit of a concern – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their plans will be. And can they comprehend and value the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"