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The famous Stahl house, a quintessential example of modernist architectural design, is now available for the first time in its complete history.

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

Owners Decision to Sell

The Stahl family, who have held title to the home for its complete 65-year history, released a announcement regarding their decision to sell. They stated that the house had proven increasingly challenging to maintain.

"This residence has been the center of our lives for many years, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become more difficult to look after it with the care and vigor it so rightfully warrants," commented the descendants of the original owners.

They continued that the period had arrived to find a new "guardian" for the house – "a person who not only values its architectural importance but also grasps its position in the cultural history of LA and further afield."

Humble Beginnings

The origins of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the initial owners acquired a sloped patch of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a famous icon of the city, the owners often stressed that "no famous individuals ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a white-collar house."

Design Undertaking

The original design for the Stahl house was conceived during the warm season of 1956. However, many designers were initially hesitant to build it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls met with architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to take on the challenge. With backing from the influential Case Study program, pioneered by a prominent magazine editor, the Stahls received support to engage Koenig.

The contemporary program "was about experimentation" and "using new resources and constructing in sites that maybe previously the techniques didn’t really permit," commented an authority from a regional preservation society. "All those things are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and unthinkable in terms of how it was erected on that location that everyone else considered, at the time, was unbuildable."

Completion and Iconic Legacy

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and building commenced in May 1959. According to the owners, construction amounted to "a mere $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The final product was "an idealized version of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after completion, a renowned architectural photographer took what is possibly the most iconic image of the home. Captured through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photograph depicts two women seated in the home’s living room but seeming to levitate over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I think the lasting influence of the photograph is due to the way it conveys an idea about residing in Los Angeles, an duality about being both in the city and detached from it," stated a principal of an architectural practice and adjunct professor at a prominent university.

Protected Designation

The home has had memorable features in film, television and music 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 listed as a preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next Stewardship

The home remains open for tours, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all appointments are currently sold out through February. In their release regarding the sale, the family stated they would give "sufficient warning" before discontinuing the tours.

The listing for the home emphasizes finding a purchaser who will preserve the character of the space.

"For connoisseurs of architecture, advocates of design, or institutions seeking to preserve an iconic work, there is simply nothing comparable," the description say. "This is more than a sale; it is a passing of responsibility – a hunt for the next guardian who will celebrate the house’s past, appreciate its design integrity, and secure its protection for generations to come."

The authority concurred that the selection of purchaser would be a crucial one, given the home’s legacy.

"I think any time a longtime owner, and a custodianship like this, is being sold of a property like this, it always causes a little bit of a hesitation – because you never know what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And do they comprehend and cherish the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"