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The renowned Stahl house, a epitome of modernist architecture, is up for sale for the initial occasion in its entire history.

This overhanging dwelling, perched in the Hollywood Hills area, appeared on the market this week. The asking price stands at a notable $25 million.

Owners Move to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have held title to the residence for its full 65-year timeline, issued a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They expressed that the dwelling had proven increasingly challenging to care for.

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

They further stated that the period had arrived to find a new "guardian" for the house – "a person who not only appreciates its architectural importance but also understands its position in the cultural history of the city and beyond."

Humble Inception

The beginnings of the Stahl house go 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 growing into a well-known representation 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."

Architectural Feat

The original design for the Stahl house was created during the summer of 1956. However, many architects were originally hesitant to erect it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to take on the task. With support from the influential Case Study program, led by a key magazine editor, the Stahls received financial aid to engage Koenig.

The modernist program "focused on innovation" and "employing new resources and constructing in places that maybe previously the technology didn’t really enable," commented an expert from a regional preservation society. "All those things are combined into a site like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, progressive and unthinkable in terms of how it was built on that location that everyone else considered, at the time, was not feasible."

Realization and Cultural Influence

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and work started in May 1959. According to the residents, construction cost "just $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The final product was "the ultimate vision of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the authority noted.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer captured what is arguably the most iconic photograph of the home. Shot through the full-length glass windows, the photograph features two women sitting in the home’s living room but seeming to hover over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I think the enduring influence of this photograph is due to the way it conveys an concept about living in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both metropolitan and separate from it," stated a head of an architectural practice and lecturer at a major university.

Protected Status

The home has made historic cameos in movies, television and promos, including several popular titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city declared 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.

Next Stewardship

The home is still open for visits, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all appointments are currently reserved through February. In their statement regarding the sale, the family said they would give "sufficient warning" before discontinuing the tours.

The property description for the home stresses finding a buyer who will maintain the spirit of the space.

"For collectors of architecture, supporters of building, or organizations seeking to safeguard an national treasure, there is simply nothing comparable," the details say. "This is not merely a sale; it is a passing of responsibility – a search for the next guardian who will honor the house’s history, value its original vision, and secure its preservation for generations to come."

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

"I believe any time a longtime owner, and a guardianship like this, is being sold of a home like this, it always gives us a little bit of a hesitation – because you never know what the next owner, what their aims will be. And do they grasp and value the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"