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The celebrated Stahl house, a paragon of mid-century modern architectural design, is currently listed for the very first time in its entire history.

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

Stewards Move to Part With

The Stahl family, who have held title to the home for its entire 65-year existence, shared a statement regarding their resolution to sell. They expressed that the house had proven excessively demanding to upkeep.

"This home has been the center of our lives for decades, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become progressively harder to look after it with the dedication and vigor it so truly merits," wrote the offspring of the original owners.

They added that the period had come to find a new "steward" for the house – "a person who not only values its architectural importance but also understands its position in the cultural fabric of Los Angeles and elsewhere."

Modest Inception

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

Despite the Stahl house becoming a renowned symbol of the city, the owners often emphasized that "no celebrities ever lived here," describing themselves as a "working-class family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Architectural Challenge

The first design for the Stahl house was created during the warm season of 1956. However, many architects were originally reluctant to construct it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the family consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to take on the task. With assistance from the notable Case Study program, spearheaded by a prominent magazine editor, the owners received support to engage Koenig.

The modernist program "focused on experimentation" and "utilizing new materials and building in sites that maybe before the technology didn’t really enable," commented an authority from a city conservancy. "All those things are integrated into a site like the Stahl house, which was innovative, contemporary and unthinkable in terms of how it was constructed on that site that everyone else thought, at the time, was not feasible."

Completion and Iconic Influence

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and work commenced in May 1959. According to the residents, construction amounted to "just $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The outcome was "the ultimate vision of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the specialist commented.

Soon after completion, a famous architectural photographer captured what is perhaps the most well-known picture of the home. Shot through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the image features two women seated in the home’s living room but seeming to float over the city skyline.

"In my opinion the long-standing effect of this image is due to the way it conveys an idea about residing in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both metropolitan and removed from it," commented a head of an architectural firm and lecturer at a prominent university.

Historic Designation

The home has enjoyed historic cameos in film, television and videos, including several well-known titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city designated 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 Stewardship

The home remains open for visits, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all slots are currently fully booked through February. In their statement announcing the sale, the family stated they would give "plenty of advance notice" before ending the tours.

The sales details for the home stresses finding a new owner who will maintain the character of the space.

"For collectors of architecture, patrons of architecture, or organizations seeking to protect an American masterpiece, there is simply no equal," the description say. "This is more than a purchase; it is a passing of responsibility – a quest for the next guardian who will respect the house’s history, respect its original vision, and ensure its protection for future generations."

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

"I believe any time a long-term steward, and a stewardship like this, is transferring hands of a home like this, it always creates a little bit of a hesitation – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And do they grasp and cherish the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"