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

This overhanging home, nestled in the Hollywood Hills area, was listed on the real estate market this recent week. The listing price stands at a notable $25 million.

Stewards Move to Sell

The Stahl family, who have held title to the home for its entire 65-year timeline, issued a announcement regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the property had grown too difficult to care for.

"This residence has been the center of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve aged, it has become progressively harder to look after it with the attention and energy it so richly deserves," wrote the descendants of the initial owners.

They further stated that the period had come to find a new "custodian" for the house – "a person who not only values its design legacy but also grasps its role in the cultural history of the city and beyond."

Humble Beginnings

The inception of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the initial owners bought a mountainous parcel of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

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

Construction Feat

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

In November 1957, the Stahls consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to undertake the project. With support from the influential Case Study program, spearheaded by a key magazine editor, the family received subsidies to commission Koenig.

The modernist program "centered around trial and error" and "utilizing new resources and erecting in sites that maybe before the techniques didn’t really permit," remarked an authority from a city heritage organization. "All those things are combined into a property like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, progressive and inconceivable in terms of how it was erected on that location that everyone else considered, at the time, was impossible to build."

Realization and Iconic Impact

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and construction started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction totaled "only $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The final product was "an idealized version of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the specialist added.

Soon after construction was finished, a renowned architectural photographer captured what is arguably the most famous picture of the home. Shot through the full-length glass windows, the photo depicts two women seated in the home’s living room but seeming to levitate over the Los Angeles skyline.

"In my opinion the long-standing influence of that photograph is due to the way it expresses an idea about living in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both in the city and detached from it," stated a head of an architectural firm and adjunct professor at a prominent university.

Protected Status

The home has had historic features in movies, broadcast and music videos, including several well-known titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Future Custodianship

The home continues to be open for visits, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all tours are currently sold out through February. In their release regarding the sale, the family indicated they would give "ample notice" before ending the tours.

The listing for the home highlights finding a buyer who will preserve the character of the space.

"For enthusiasts of architecture, supporters of design, or entities seeking to preserve an national treasure, there is simply no equal," the description say. "This is more than a sale; it is a transfer of stewardship – a search for the next custodian who will honor the house’s legacy, respect its original vision, and guarantee its preservation for generations to come."

The specialist concurred that the selection of purchaser would be a critical one, given the home’s history.

"I believe any time a long-term steward, and a custodianship like this, is changing ownership of a residence like this, it always causes a little bit of a concern – because you never know what the next owner, what their plans will be. And do they grasp and cherish the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"