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The renowned Stahl house, a epitome of modernist architecture, is now available for the very first time in its whole history.

This suspended dwelling, perched in the Hollywood Hills area, appeared on the market this recent week. The price tag stands at a substantial $25 million.

Family Move to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have owned the home for its complete 65-year existence, shared a statement regarding their choice to sell. They stated that the dwelling had become increasingly challenging to care for.

"This residence has been the heart of our lives for many years, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become more difficult to maintain it with the attention and vigor it so truly merits," commented the children of the initial owners.

They added that the period had emerged to find a new "custodian" for the house – "someone who not only recognizes its design legacy but also grasps its place in the cultural history of Los Angeles and further afield."

Unassuming Inception

The beginnings of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the original owners bought a mountainous parcel of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a famous symbol of the city, the owners often pointed out that "no famous individuals ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "working-class family living in a luxury house."

Construction Challenge

The initial design for the Stahl house was developed during the summer months of 1956. However, many builders were originally reluctant to build it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to undertake the challenge. With assistance from the notable Case Study program, spearheaded by a leading magazine editor, the Stahls received subsidies to hire Koenig.

The progressive program "was about innovation" and "using new resources and building in places that maybe previously the techniques didn’t really enable," remarked an expert from a local heritage organization. "Each of these factors are wrapped up into a place like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, progressive and inconceivable in terms of how it was constructed on that location that everyone else thought, at the time, was not feasible."

Realization and Famous Influence

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and building began in May 1959. According to the residents, construction amounted to "a mere $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The final product was "an idealized version of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the expert added.

Soon after the build ended, a renowned architectural photographer captured what is perhaps the most famous photograph of the home. Shot through the full-length glass windows, the image shows two women seated in the home’s living room but looking to levitate over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I believe the lasting effect of the photograph is due to the way it conveys an concept about dwelling in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both in the city and detached from it," said a head of an architectural practice and educator at a prominent university.

Cultural Recognition

The home has made historic cameos in movies, television and music videos, including several popular 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 conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next Ownership

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

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

"For enthusiasts of architecture, patrons of architecture, or institutions seeking to safeguard an American masterpiece, there is simply no equal," the description read. "This is not merely a sale; it is a handover of custody – a quest for the next guardian who will respect the house’s past, respect its design integrity, and secure its conservation for generations to come."

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

"I think any time a original family, and a custodianship like this, is being sold of a residence like this, it always gives us a little bit of a concern – because you never know what the next owner, what their plans will be. And can they grasp and cherish the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"