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The celebrated Stahl house, a paragon of midcentury modern architecture, is currently listed for the very first time in its entire history.

This suspended dwelling, nestled in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, was listed on the listings this week. The asking price stands at a notable $25 million.

Owners Decision to Part With

The Stahl family, who have owned the residence for its complete 65-year timeline, shared a declaration regarding their resolution to sell. They expressed that the house had become too difficult to care for.

"This house has been the core of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve aged, it has become more difficult to maintain it with the care and energy it so truly merits," stated the children of the first owners.

They further stated that the moment had emerged to find a new "steward" for the house – "someone who not only recognizes its architectural importance but also comprehends its position in the cultural landscape of the city and elsewhere."

Modest Origins

The beginnings of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the initial owners bought a mountainous parcel of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a renowned representation of the city, the owners often emphasized that "nobody famous ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "average family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Design Feat

The initial design for the Stahl house was created during the warm season of 1956. However, many builders were at first hesitant to erect it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to undertake the challenge. With backing from the notable Case Study program, led by a key magazine editor, the owners received support to engage Koenig.

The contemporary program "centered around trial and error" and "employing new resources and constructing in locations that maybe earlier the technology didn’t really permit," stated an expert from a city heritage organization. "All these elements are wrapped up into a property like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, contemporary and inconceivable in terms of how it was built on that location that everyone else thought, at the time, was unbuildable."

Finalization and Famous Legacy

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and building began in May 1959. According to the residents, construction amounted to "a mere $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The outcome was "an idealized version of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after completion, a famous architectural photographer took what is possibly the most iconic image of the home. Taken through the full-length glass windows, the image shows two women positioned in the home’s living room but looking to hover over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I believe the enduring influence of that image is due to the way it communicates an idea about residing in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both in the city and removed from it," stated a head of an architectural firm and lecturer at a prominent university.

Protected Designation

The home has enjoyed historic features in movies, television and videos, including several popular titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Coming Ownership

The home continues to be open for tours, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all slots are currently reserved through February. In their statement concerning the sale, the family stated they would give "ample notice" before ending the tours.

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

"For collectors of style, advocates of architecture, or entities seeking to protect an national treasure, there is simply no equal," the details state. "This is more than a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a quest for the next guardian who will honor the house’s legacy, respect its design integrity, and ensure its protection for future generations."

The specialist concurred that the decision of new owner would be a vital one, given the home’s past.

"I believe any time a longtime owner, and a custodianship like this, is transferring hands of a residence like this, it always gives us a little bit of a pause – because you never know what the next owner, what their plans will be. And can they understand and value the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"