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The renowned Stahl house, a paragon of modernist design, is up for sale for the very first time in its whole history.

This suspended residence, situated in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, hit the real estate market this week. The asking price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Owners Decision to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have owned the home for its entire 65-year existence, released a announcement regarding their resolution to sell. They stated that the house had proven too difficult to maintain.

"This residence has been the heart of our lives for many years, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become progressively harder to maintain it with the dedication and energy it so rightfully warrants," wrote the children of the original owners.

They continued that the time had arrived to find a new "guardian" for the house – "an individual who not only appreciates its architectural importance but also grasps its place in the cultural fabric of LA and elsewhere."

Modest Origins

The inception of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the original owners bought a sloped plot of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a famous icon of the city, the family often emphasized that "no famous individuals ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a white-collar house."

Architectural Feat

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

In November 1957, the owners consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to accept the project. With backing from the influential Case Study program, led by a prominent magazine editor, the owners received support to hire Koenig.

The progressive program "focused on trial and error" and "utilizing new building materials and erecting in sites that maybe before the technology didn’t really enable," remarked an expert from a local preservation society. "All these elements are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, modern and unthinkable in terms of how it was erected on that location that everyone else believed, at the time, was impossible to build."

Realization and Iconic Legacy

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

Soon after construction was finished, a celebrated architectural photographer took what is perhaps the most iconic picture of the home. Shot through the enormous glass windows, the photograph shows two women sitting in the home’s living room but seeming to levitate over the LA skyline.

"I believe the long-standing effect of the image is due to the way it communicates an notion about residing in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both urban and removed from it," commented a founder of an architectural company and educator at a leading university.

Protected Recognition

The home has enjoyed historic cameos in movies, TV and promos, including several well-known 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 listed as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Custodianship

The home remains open for public viewings, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all slots are currently reserved through February. In their statement concerning the sale, the family stated they would give "ample notice" before stopping the tours.

The property description for the home emphasizes finding a new owner who will maintain the spirit of the space.

"For connoisseurs of architecture, patrons of design, or entities seeking to preserve an American masterpiece, there is simply no parallel," the listing read. "This is more than a transaction; it is a handover of custody – a search for the next guardian who will respect the house’s legacy, respect its original vision, and ensure its conservation for posterity."

The expert affirmed that the selection of buyer would be a critical one, given the home’s history.

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