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The famous Stahl house, a quintessential example of mid-century modern architectural design, is currently listed for the first time in its entire history.

This overhanging home, nestled in the Hollywood Hills area, hit the listings this recent week. The price tag stands at a substantial $25 million.

Owners Decision to Sell

The Stahl family, who have owned the home for its complete 65-year existence, released a statement regarding their choice to sell. They noted that the dwelling had become too difficult to care for.

"This residence has been the core of our lives for decades, but as we’ve aged, it has become increasingly challenging to maintain it with the attention and energy it so truly merits," 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 appreciates its design legacy but also grasps its role in the cultural history of the city and beyond."

Unassuming Inception

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

Despite the Stahl house growing into a famous symbol of the city, the owners often emphasized that "no famous individuals ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "working-class family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Design Feat

The first design for the Stahl house was conceived during the warm season of 1956. However, many designers were at first hesitant to build it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the family met with architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to undertake the project. With backing from the prominent Case Study program, pioneered by a leading magazine editor, the owners received support to engage Koenig.

The progressive program "centered around innovation" and "employing new building materials and building in locations that maybe previously the engineering didn’t really permit," commented an expert from a regional conservancy. "All those things are wrapped up into a site like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and inconceivable in terms of how it was constructed on that plot that everyone else believed, at the time, was unbuildable."

Realization and Cultural Impact

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and construction started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction totaled "a mere $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The final product was "a perfect representation of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the specialist added.

Soon after construction was finished, a celebrated architectural photographer took what is arguably the most famous image of the home. Shot through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the image features two women sitting in the home’s living room but seeming to float over the city skyline.

"I believe the lasting impact of this photograph is due to the way it communicates an concept about residing in Los Angeles, an duality about being both metropolitan and detached from it," stated a principal of an architectural company and adjunct professor at a leading university.

Historic Recognition

The home has had notable appearances in cinema, TV and 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 protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Ownership

The home remains open for visits, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all appointments are currently reserved through February. In their release announcing the sale, the family stated they would give "plenty of advance notice" before ending the tours.

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

"For connoisseurs of architecture, patrons of architecture, or organizations seeking to safeguard an national treasure, there is simply nothing comparable," the details say. "This goes beyond a purchase; it is a handover of custody – a quest for the next custodian who will respect the house’s history, value its design integrity, and guarantee its protection for future generations."

The specialist concurred that the decision of purchaser would be a crucial one, given the home’s history.

"In my view any time a original family, and a guardianship like this, is being sold of a home like this, it always creates a little bit of a concern – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their aims will be. And will they understand and appreciate the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"