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The renowned Stahl house, a epitome of modernist architecture, is now available for the initial occasion in its whole history.

This cantilevered dwelling, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, hit the real estate market this week. The asking price stands at a notable $25 million.

Stewards Move to Part With

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the property for its entire 65-year timeline, released a declaration regarding their choice to sell. They noted that the dwelling had become too difficult to care for.

"This residence has been the core of our lives for many years, but as we’ve grown older, it has become more difficult to maintain it with the dedication and vigor it so richly deserves," commented the offspring of the first owners.

They continued that the time had come to find a new "custodian" for the house – "a person who not only recognizes its architectural importance but also understands its position in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and beyond."

Humble Origins

The beginnings of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the original owners acquired a hilly patch of land in the previously undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a famous symbol of the city, the owners often pointed out that "nobody famous ever lived here," describing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a luxury house."

Design Feat

The initial design for the Stahl house was created during the summer months of 1956. However, many builders were initially wary to build it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls met with architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to accept the project. With backing from the prominent Case Study program, led by a key magazine editor, the Stahls received financial aid to hire Koenig.

The modernist program "was about experimentation" and "using new resources and constructing in sites that maybe earlier the techniques didn’t really allow," commented an authority from a regional preservation society. "All these elements are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, progressive and unimaginable in terms of how it was erected on that location that everyone else believed, at the time, was impossible to build."

Completion and Famous Influence

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and construction began in May 1959. According to the residents, construction amounted to "a mere $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The outcome was "the ultimate vision of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the expert added.

Soon after completion, a famous architectural photographer captured what is possibly the most famous picture of the home. Shot through the full-length glass windows, the photograph features two women positioned in the home’s living room but looking to float over the city skyline.

"I think the long-standing effect of the photo is due to the way it expresses an notion about living in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both in the city and detached from it," commented a principal of an architectural practice and adjunct professor at a prominent university.

Cultural Designation

The home has made notable appearances in movies, broadcast and promos, 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 listed as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next Custodianship

The home is still open for tours, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all slots are currently sold out through February. In their announcement concerning the sale, the family said they would give "ample notice" before discontinuing the tours.

The property description for the home stresses finding a new owner who will conserve the character of the space.

"For enthusiasts of architecture, patrons of architecture, or institutions seeking to protect an American masterpiece, there is simply no parallel," the details read. "This is more than a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a hunt for the next custodian who will celebrate the house’s past, appreciate its design integrity, and secure its preservation for generations to come."

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

"I believe any time a long-term steward, and a stewardship like this, is transferring hands of a property like this, it always causes a little bit of a pause – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their plans will be. And will they grasp and appreciate the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"