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The renowned Stahl house, a paragon of modernist architecture, is up for sale for the first time in its whole history.

This suspended dwelling, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, hit the market this past week. The price tag stands at an impressive $25 million.

Family Decision to Sell

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the property for its full 65-year history, issued a statement regarding their choice to sell. They expressed that the dwelling had grown excessively demanding to maintain.

"This home has been the heart of our lives for many years, but as we’ve grown older, it has become progressively harder to look after it with the attention and energy it so rightfully warrants," wrote the children of the initial owners.

They continued that the moment had emerged to find a new "guardian" for the house – "someone who not only appreciates its architectural significance but also understands its position in the cultural history of the city and beyond."

Humble Beginnings

The inception of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the original owners bought a sloped parcel of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a well-known representation of the city, the owners often pointed out that "no celebrities ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "working-class family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Construction Feat

The original design for the Stahl house was conceived during the warm season of 1956. However, many architects were originally wary to erect it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls met with architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to take on the task. With support from the prominent Case Study program, led by a leading magazine editor, the owners received financial aid to engage Koenig.

The modernist program "centered around trial and error" and "using new building materials and erecting in locations that maybe previously the techniques didn’t really enable," stated an specialist from a city heritage organization. "All those things are combined into a place like the Stahl house, which was innovative, contemporary and unthinkable in terms of how it was constructed on that location that everyone else believed, at the time, was not feasible."

Realization and Famous Influence

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and building started in May 1959. According to the residents, construction cost "only $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The result was "an idealized version of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the authority noted.

Soon after completion, a celebrated architectural photographer shot what is possibly the most iconic picture of the home. Taken through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photograph features two women seated in the home’s living room but appearing to levitate over the city skyline.

"In my opinion the enduring influence of this image is due to the way it conveys an concept about living in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both in the city and separate from it," said a head of an architectural company and adjunct professor at a leading university.

Historic Designation

The home has made historic cameos in cinema, television and videos, including several well-known 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 preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Custodianship

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

The sales details for the home stresses finding a purchaser who will maintain the essence of the space.

"For enthusiasts of design, supporters of design, or institutions seeking to safeguard an national treasure, there is simply no parallel," the listing read. "This is not merely a transaction; it is a passing of responsibility – a hunt for the next custodian who will honor the house’s legacy, respect its architectural purity, and guarantee its protection for future generations."

The specialist concurred that the decision of buyer would be a vital one, given the home’s legacy.

"I believe any time a longtime owner, and a custodianship like this, is being sold of a home like this, it always causes a little bit of a concern – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And do they comprehend and appreciate the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"