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The celebrated Stahl house, a epitome of mid-century modern architectural design, is now available for the first time in its whole history.

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

Owners Decision to Part With

The Stahl family, who have held title to the home for its full 65-year existence, issued a statement regarding their choice to sell. They expressed that the dwelling had proven increasingly challenging to maintain.

"This home has been the core of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve aged, it has become increasingly challenging to look after it with the dedication and vigor it so richly deserves," stated the offspring of the initial owners.

They further stated that the moment had arrived to find a new "guardian" for the house – "an individual who not only appreciates its design legacy but also grasps its role in the cultural fabric of the city and further afield."

Humble Beginnings

The beginnings of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the original owners bought a hilly plot of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a well-known symbol of the city, the owners often pointed out that "no famous individuals ever lived here," describing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Construction Challenge

The initial design for the Stahl house was conceived during the summer of 1956. However, many designers were initially wary to construct it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the owners met with architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to take on the task. With backing from the influential Case Study program, pioneered by a prominent magazine editor, the family received support to engage Koenig.

The contemporary program "centered around experimentation" and "using new resources and erecting in places that maybe before the techniques didn’t really allow," remarked an specialist from a regional preservation society. "All those things are wrapped up into a site like the Stahl house, which was innovative, modern and unthinkable in terms of how it was erected on that location that everyone else believed, at the time, was not feasible."

Finalization and Famous Legacy

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and construction commenced in May 1959. According to the owners, construction amounted to "only $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The outcome was "a perfect representation of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the expert added.

Soon after the build ended, a renowned architectural photographer captured what is perhaps the most iconic photograph of the home. Taken through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photograph depicts two women seated in the home’s living room but looking to float over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I believe the long-standing impact of the photograph is due to the way it conveys an concept about living in Los Angeles, an duality about being both metropolitan and removed from it," commented a head of an architectural firm and educator at a prominent university.

Protected Recognition

The home has enjoyed notable cameos in film, broadcast and music videos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city recognized the Stahl house a historic-cultural landmark, and in 2013, the house was added as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Ownership

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

The listing for the home highlights finding a buyer who will conserve the character of the space.

"For connoisseurs of design, patrons of architecture, or entities seeking to preserve an iconic work, there is simply nothing comparable," the listing read. "This is more than a transaction; it is a handover of custody – a quest for the next steward who will celebrate the house’s legacy, appreciate its design integrity, and secure its protection for posterity."

The expert concurred that the choice of buyer 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 property like this, it always causes a little bit of a concern – because you never know what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And will they comprehend and cherish the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"