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

This cantilevered dwelling, nestled in the Hollywood Hills area, was listed on the real estate market this past week. The price tag stands at a notable $25 million.

Stewards Choice to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have held title to the residence for its full 65-year timeline, released a statement regarding their choice to sell. They stated that the property had proven excessively demanding to upkeep.

"This house has been the core of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become increasingly challenging to look after it with the attention and effort it so rightfully warrants," stated the children of the first owners.

They added that the period had come to find a new "custodian" for the house – "a person who not only recognizes its architectural importance but also grasps its place in the cultural fabric of the city and further afield."

Modest Inception

The inception of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the original owners acquired a mountainous patch of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a famous icon of the city, the family often emphasized that "no famous individuals ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "working-class family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Construction Undertaking

The original design for the Stahl house was created during the summer months of 1956. However, many builders were initially reluctant to erect it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to undertake the challenge. With assistance from the prominent Case Study program, led by a key magazine editor, the family received subsidies to commission Koenig.

The modernist program "focused on trial and error" and "employing new building materials and erecting in places that maybe previously the engineering didn’t really allow," commented an authority from a regional heritage organization. "All these elements are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and inconceivable in terms of how it was built on that site that everyone else believed, at the time, was unbuildable."

Realization and Iconic Influence

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and building started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction amounted to "just $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The result was "a perfect representation of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the authority commented.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer captured what is perhaps the most iconic image of the home. Captured through the enormous glass windows, the photo depicts two women sitting in the home’s living room but looking to hover over the city skyline.

"I think the long-standing influence of this photo is due to the way it communicates an idea about living in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both metropolitan and detached from it," commented a head of an architectural firm and adjunct professor at a leading university.

Cultural Recognition

The home has enjoyed notable features in film, broadcast and videos, including several well-known titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city declared 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 Stewardship

The home continues to be open for public viewings, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all slots are currently fully booked through February. In their announcement concerning the sale, the family stated they would give "ample notice" before discontinuing the tours.

The property description for the home highlights finding a new owner who will conserve the character of the space.

"For enthusiasts of design, supporters of building, or organizations seeking to protect an national treasure, there is simply no equal," the details say. "This is not merely a sale; it is a passing of responsibility – a hunt for the next guardian who will honor the house’s past, respect its original vision, and ensure its preservation for future generations."

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

"In my view any time a longtime owner, and a custodianship like this, is transferring hands of a residence like this, it always creates a little bit of a concern – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their aims will be. And can they grasp and cherish the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"