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The renowned Stahl house, a quintessential example of modernist design, is now available for the initial occasion in its complete history.

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

Family Choice to Part With

The Stahl family, who have owned the residence for its entire 65-year existence, released a declaration regarding their resolution to sell. They expressed that the dwelling had proven too difficult to care for.

"This house 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 effort it so rightfully warrants," commented the children of the original owners.

They continued that the time had emerged to find a new "guardian" for the house – "an individual who not only appreciates its architectural significance but also grasps its role in the cultural history of LA and elsewhere."

Modest Beginnings

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

Despite the Stahl house becoming a well-known icon of the city, the family often pointed out that "nobody famous ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Design Undertaking

The original design for the Stahl house was created during the summer of 1956. However, many designers were originally hesitant to construct it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls met with architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to undertake the project. With assistance from the prominent Case Study program, led by a leading magazine editor, the owners received subsidies to hire Koenig.

The contemporary program "focused on trial and error" and "utilizing new resources and erecting in sites that maybe earlier the techniques didn’t really allow," remarked an authority from a city heritage organization. "Each of these factors are combined into a site like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, contemporary and unthinkable in terms of how it was built on that plot that everyone else considered, at the time, was unbuildable."

Realization and Iconic Legacy

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and work commenced in May 1959. According to the family, construction totaled "only $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The result was "the ultimate vision of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the authority noted.

Soon after the build ended, a renowned architectural photographer took what is perhaps the most iconic picture of the home. Captured through the enormous glass windows, the image features two women seated in the home’s living room but appearing to float over the Los Angeles skyline.

"In my opinion the lasting impact of the photograph is due to the way it expresses an idea about dwelling in Los Angeles, an duality about being both in the city and removed from it," stated a principal of an architectural company and educator at a major university.

Protected Status

The home has had memorable cameos in cinema, television and videos, including several popular titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city designated the Stahl house a heritage site, and in 2013, the house was included as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Custodianship

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

The listing for the home stresses finding a new owner who will preserve the character of the space.

"For connoisseurs of architecture, patrons of building, or organizations seeking to preserve an American masterpiece, there is simply nothing comparable," the listing state. "This is more than a sale; it is a passing of responsibility – a hunt for the next steward who will honor the house’s legacy, value its design integrity, and ensure its conservation for generations to come."

The authority agreed that the decision of purchaser would be a crucial one, given the home’s history.

"I think any time a longtime owner, and a stewardship like this, is transferring hands of a residence like this, it always gives us a little bit of a concern – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their plans will be. And can they understand and appreciate the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"