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The famous Stahl house, a paragon of mid-century modern architecture, is currently listed for the initial occasion in its whole history.

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

Family Move to Part With

The Stahl family, who have owned the residence for its full 65-year history, released a declaration regarding their resolution to sell. They stated that the dwelling had grown excessively demanding to upkeep.

"This home has been the core of our lives for decades, but as we’ve aged, it has become more difficult to maintain it with the attention and vigor it so richly deserves," stated the children of the original owners.

They continued that the time had arrived to find a new "guardian" for the house – "someone who not only recognizes its design legacy but also comprehends its place in the cultural history of the city and elsewhere."

Humble Beginnings

The origins of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the first owners purchased a mountainous patch of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a renowned symbol of the city, the family often emphasized that "no famous individuals ever lived here," describing themselves as a "average family living in a white-collar house."

Construction Undertaking

The first design for the Stahl house was conceived during the warm season of 1956. However, many designers were originally reluctant to erect it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the owners met with architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to take on the challenge. With support from the notable Case Study program, led by a leading magazine editor, the owners received financial aid to commission Koenig.

The progressive program "centered around experimentation" and "employing new resources and constructing in sites that maybe earlier the engineering didn’t really enable," remarked an specialist from a regional preservation society. "All these elements are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and unimaginable in terms of how it was constructed on that location that everyone else believed, at the time, was unbuildable."

Realization and Cultural Legacy

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and work started in May 1959. According to the family, construction amounted to "just $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The final product was "an idealized version of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the authority noted.

Soon after the build ended, a celebrated architectural photographer took what is possibly the most iconic image of the home. Shot through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photo depicts two women positioned in the home’s living room but appearing to levitate over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I think the long-standing effect of the image is due to the way it conveys an notion about dwelling in Los Angeles, an duality about being both in the city and separate from it," commented a founder of an architectural company and educator at a major university.

Cultural Status

The home has had historic features in film, TV and music videos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city designated the Stahl house a protected monument, and in 2013, the house was included as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next Ownership

The home is still open for public viewings, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all slots are currently sold out through February. In their release announcing the sale, the family stated they would give "plenty of advance notice" before ending the tours.

The property description for the home emphasizes finding a purchaser who will maintain the essence of the space.

"For enthusiasts of design, advocates of design, or organizations seeking to preserve an American masterpiece, there is simply no parallel," the description read. "This is not merely a sale; it is a passing of responsibility – a search for the next steward who will celebrate the house’s history, value its architectural purity, and secure its preservation for posterity."

The specialist concurred that the selection of buyer would be a vital one, given the home’s past.

"I think any time a longtime owner, and a guardianship like this, is transferring hands of a home like this, it always gives us a little bit of a concern – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their plans will be. And do they comprehend and cherish the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"