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The celebrated Stahl house, a epitome of modernist architectural design, is now available for the initial occasion in its complete history.

This overhanging home, situated in the Hollywood Hills area, was listed on the listings this recent week. The price tag stands at a notable $25 million.

Owners Move to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have owned the residence for its complete 65-year timeline, issued a statement regarding their choice to sell. They expressed that the property had grown too difficult to care for.

"This home has been the core of our lives for many years, but as we’ve grown older, it has become more difficult to look after it with the dedication and vigor it so richly deserves," wrote the children of the initial owners.

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

Humble Beginnings

The inception of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the initial owners acquired a hilly parcel of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a famous icon of the city, the owners often stressed that "nobody famous ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a white-collar house."

Design Undertaking

The first design for the Stahl house was conceived during the summer months of 1956. However, many architects were at first hesitant to erect it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the owners interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to undertake the project. With assistance from the notable Case Study program, pioneered by a key magazine editor, the owners received subsidies to engage Koenig.

The progressive program "focused on experimentation" and "utilizing new materials and constructing in places that maybe previously the engineering didn’t really permit," stated an expert from a regional conservancy. "Each of these factors are combined into a site like the Stahl house, which was innovative, modern and inconceivable in terms of how it was erected on that site that everyone else considered, at the time, was impossible to build."

Completion and Famous Legacy

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and construction commenced in May 1959. According to the family, construction amounted to "a mere $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The final product was "a perfect representation of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the specialist noted.

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

"I believe the lasting impact of this photograph is due to the way it conveys an idea about dwelling in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both urban and detached from it," commented a founder of an architectural company and lecturer at a major university.

Cultural Designation

The home has had historic cameos in film, TV and music videos, including several famous 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.

Next Custodianship

The home remains open for tours, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all appointments are currently fully booked through February. In their release regarding the sale, the family said they would give "sufficient warning" before stopping the tours.

The listing for the home highlights finding a purchaser who will maintain the spirit of the space.

"For collectors of architecture, patrons of building, or organizations seeking to preserve an iconic work, there is simply no equal," the details read. "This goes beyond a sale; it is a transfer of stewardship – a quest for the next custodian who will respect the house’s past, appreciate its original vision, and ensure its protection for future generations."

The specialist agreed that the decision of new owner would be a vital one, given the home’s history.

"In my view any time a long-term steward, and a custodianship like this, is changing ownership of a residence like this, it always creates a little bit of a concern – because you never know what the next owner, what their plans will be. And can they understand and appreciate the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"