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The celebrated Stahl house, a quintessential example of mid-century modern architecture, is currently listed for the first time in its complete history.

This overhanging residence, nestled in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, hit the listings this recent week. The asking price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Stewards Move to Part With

The Stahl family, who have held title to the home for its entire 65-year timeline, released a statement regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the dwelling had grown increasingly challenging to upkeep.

"This residence has been the core of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become progressively harder to care for it with the care and effort it so rightfully warrants," stated the offspring of the initial owners.

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

Modest Inception

The inception of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the first owners bought a mountainous patch of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a well-known symbol of the city, the family often emphasized that "no celebrities ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "average family living in a luxury house."

Architectural Feat

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

In November 1957, the family interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to accept the project. With assistance from the notable Case Study program, spearheaded by a leading magazine editor, the family received support to hire Koenig.

The progressive program "centered around trial and error" and "utilizing new materials and erecting in places that maybe previously the engineering didn’t really allow," commented an specialist from a regional preservation society. "All these elements are wrapped up into a place like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, progressive and unimaginable in terms of how it was constructed on that plot that everyone else thought, at the time, was unbuildable."

Realization and Famous Legacy

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and work started in May 1959. According to the residents, construction cost "only $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The result was "a perfect representation of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the specialist commented.

Soon after construction was finished, a famous architectural photographer shot what is possibly the most famous picture of the home. Shot through the enormous glass windows, the image features two women seated in the home’s living room but appearing to levitate over the city skyline.

"In my opinion the enduring impact of the photo is due to the way it communicates an concept about residing in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both in the city and detached from it," stated a founder of an architectural company and adjunct professor at a leading university.

Cultural Designation

The home has made notable features in film, TV and music videos, including several famous 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.

Coming Custodianship

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

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

"For connoisseurs of design, advocates of design, or institutions seeking to protect an American masterpiece, there is simply nothing comparable," the description say. "This is not merely a transaction; it is a handover of custody – a quest for the next guardian who will honor the house’s history, value its architectural purity, and guarantee its preservation for future generations."

The authority affirmed that the choice of new owner would be a critical one, given the home’s legacy.

"I believe any time a long-term steward, and a stewardship like this, is being sold of a property like this, it always gives us a little bit of a pause – because you never know what the next owner, what their aims will be. And will they grasp and appreciate the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"