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The famous Stahl house, a quintessential example of mid-century modern design, is up for sale for the first time in its entire history.

This overhanging residence, situated in the Hollywood Hills area, was listed on the real estate market this week. The price tag stands at an impressive $25 million.

Stewards Choice to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the home for its full 65-year timeline, shared a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They stated that the property had grown too difficult to maintain.

"This house has been the center of our lives for decades, but as we’ve aged, it has become more difficult to care for it with the dedication and vigor it so rightfully warrants," stated the offspring of the first owners.

They continued that the period had arrived to find a new "custodian" for the house – "someone who not only appreciates its design legacy but also grasps its position in the cultural fabric of LA and beyond."

Unassuming Origins

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

Despite the Stahl house becoming a well-known symbol of the city, the residents often emphasized that "no famous individuals ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "average family living in a white-collar house."

Design Feat

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

In November 1957, the family met with architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to accept the challenge. With support from the notable Case Study program, pioneered by a key magazine editor, the owners received support to hire Koenig.

The modernist program "centered around experimentation" and "employing new resources and constructing in places that maybe before the engineering didn’t really permit," commented an specialist from a regional preservation society. "All these elements are combined into a place like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, contemporary and unimaginable in terms of how it was constructed on that site that everyone else thought, at the time, was impossible to build."

Realization and Iconic Impact

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and work commenced in May 1959. According to the family, construction cost "just $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The final product was "an idealized version of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

Soon after the build ended, a renowned architectural photographer captured what is possibly the most iconic image of the home. Taken through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photo shows two women sitting in the home’s living room but looking to float over the LA skyline.

"I believe the lasting effect of the image is due to the way it conveys an concept about dwelling in Los Angeles, an duality about being both metropolitan and removed from it," commented a head of an architectural company and adjunct professor at a major university.

Cultural Recognition

The home has enjoyed memorable features in movies, TV and promos, including several famous 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 listed as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Ownership

The home remains open for tours, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all appointments are currently fully booked through February. In their statement announcing the sale, the family stated they would give "sufficient warning" before ending the tours.

The listing for the home highlights finding a new owner who will preserve the essence of the space.

"For collectors of architecture, advocates of building, or institutions seeking to preserve an American masterpiece, there is simply nothing comparable," the details read. "This is not merely a purchase; it is a transfer of stewardship – a search for the next guardian who will honor the house’s past, value its architectural purity, and ensure its conservation for future generations."

The expert agreed that the selection of buyer would be a critical one, given the home’s history.

"I think any time a long-term steward, and a stewardship like this, is changing ownership of a home like this, it always causes a little bit of a pause – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their aims will be. And do they grasp and appreciate the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"