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The famous Stahl house, a epitome of modernist architecture, is currently listed for the initial occasion in its entire history.

This cantilevered home, perched in the Hollywood Hills area, appeared on the market this week. The price tag stands at a notable $25 million.

Stewards Decision to Part With

The Stahl family, who have owned the residence for its full 65-year history, issued a declaration regarding their resolution to sell. They stated that the property had grown increasingly challenging to care for.

"This residence has been the core of our lives for decades, but as we’ve aged, it has become progressively harder to look after it with the care and effort it so truly merits," commented the offspring of the initial owners.

They continued that the moment had emerged to find a new "guardian" for the house – "a person who not only recognizes its design legacy but also comprehends its position in the cultural history of Los Angeles and further afield."

Modest Beginnings

The origins of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the first owners purchased a hilly parcel of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a well-known representation of the city, the owners often pointed out that "no famous individuals ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "average family living in a white-collar house."

Construction Challenge

The initial design for the Stahl house was created during the warm season of 1956. However, many builders were initially hesitant to construct it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the owners consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to undertake the challenge. With backing from the influential Case Study program, pioneered by a prominent magazine editor, the family received financial aid to commission Koenig.

The contemporary program "was about experimentation" and "using new resources and building in locations that maybe earlier the techniques didn’t really allow," commented an specialist from a city conservancy. "All those things are combined into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, contemporary and inconceivable in terms of how it was built on that location that everyone else considered, at the time, was impossible to build."

Completion and Iconic Legacy

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and building started in May 1959. According to the family, construction totaled "only $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The outcome was "the ultimate vision of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the authority noted.

Soon after the build ended, a famous architectural photographer took what is possibly the most well-known image of the home. Captured through the enormous glass windows, the photograph features two women positioned in the home’s living room but appearing to float over the city skyline.

"In my opinion the long-standing influence of this photo is due to the way it expresses an idea about residing in Los Angeles, an duality about being both urban and removed from it," commented a head of an architectural practice and lecturer at a prominent university.

Historic Status

The home has made notable features in film, TV and promos, 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 protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Stewardship

The home remains open for tours, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all slots are currently sold out through February. In their announcement announcing the sale, the family said they would give "ample notice" before ending the tours.

The sales details for the home stresses finding a new owner who will conserve the spirit of the space.

"For collectors of design, patrons of design, or entities seeking to protect an iconic work, there is simply nothing comparable," the listing state. "This is more than a transaction; it is a passing of responsibility – a hunt for the next custodian who will honor the house’s history, appreciate its design integrity, and secure its preservation for future generations."

The expert agreed that the selection of purchaser would be a vital one, given the home’s legacy.

"In my view any time a longtime owner, and a guardianship like this, is changing ownership of a property like this, it always creates a little bit of a pause – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And will they understand and cherish the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"