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The renowned Stahl house, a paragon of modernist architectural design, is currently listed for the first time in its entire history.

This overhanging dwelling, perched in the Hollywood Hills, appeared on the market this past week. The price tag stands at a notable $25 million.

Family Decision to Part With

The Stahl family, who have held title to the property for its full 65-year timeline, issued a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They stated that the dwelling had proven too difficult to upkeep.

"This home has been the heart of our lives for many years, but as we’ve aged, it has become increasingly challenging to maintain it with the attention and vigor it so truly merits," wrote the children of the original owners.

They added that the period had emerged to find a new "custodian" for the house – "an individual who not only recognizes its architectural significance but also grasps its position in the cultural history of LA and further afield."

Humble Beginnings

The origins of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the first owners bought a hilly patch of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a famous icon of the city, the residents often pointed out that "no famous individuals ever lived here," describing themselves as a "working-class family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Design Feat

The original design for the Stahl house was conceived during the warm season of 1956. However, many builders were at first reluctant to build it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the family met with architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to take on the task. With support from the notable Case Study program, spearheaded by a prominent magazine editor, the owners received subsidies to commission Koenig.

The modernist program "focused on trial and error" and "employing new building materials and building in places that maybe previously the engineering didn’t really enable," remarked an authority from a regional conservancy. "All those things are combined into a place like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, modern and inconceivable in terms of how it was erected on that plot that everyone else considered, at the time, was impossible to build."

Realization and Iconic Impact

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and work started in May 1959. According to the residents, construction totaled "a mere $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The result was "the ultimate vision of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the expert commented.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer captured what is possibly the most iconic picture of the home. Captured through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the image features two women sitting in the home’s living room but looking to float over the LA skyline.

"I think the long-standing effect of the image is due to the way it communicates an idea about living in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both metropolitan and detached from it," commented a principal of an architectural company and educator at a prominent university.

Cultural Recognition

The home has had historic features in cinema, television and videos, including several well-known 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 added as a preserved site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Custodianship

The home is still open for tours, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all appointments are currently sold out through February. In their announcement concerning the sale, the family indicated they would give "sufficient warning" before ending the tours.

The sales details for the home emphasizes finding a purchaser who will conserve the spirit of the space.

"For enthusiasts of architecture, supporters of architecture, or institutions seeking to safeguard an national treasure, there is simply no equal," the listing say. "This is more than a sale; it is a passing of responsibility – a hunt for the next custodian who will respect the house’s history, value its architectural purity, and secure its conservation for generations to come."

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

"In my view any time a long-term steward, and a guardianship like this, is being sold of a residence like this, it always gives us a little bit of a hesitation – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their aims will be. And can they grasp and value the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"