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The famous Stahl house, a epitome of midcentury modern design, is currently listed for the very first time in its whole history.

This suspended dwelling, perched in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, was listed on the listings this week. The listing price stands at a notable $25 million.

Owners Move to Sell

The Stahl family, who have held title to the residence for its entire 65-year history, released a statement regarding their resolution to sell. They expressed that the house had become excessively demanding to care for.

"This home has been the core of our lives for decades, but as we’ve aged, it has become more difficult to look after it with the dedication and effort it so truly merits," wrote the children of the initial owners.

They further stated that the period had come to find a new "guardian" for the house – "someone who not only appreciates its design legacy but also grasps its role in the cultural history of LA and further afield."

Humble Inception

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

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a well-known symbol of the city, the family often stressed that "no celebrities ever lived here," describing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Architectural Challenge

The original design for the Stahl house was created during the warm season of 1956. However, many designers were initially wary to construct it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the owners consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to undertake the project. With support from the influential Case Study program, led by a leading magazine editor, the family received financial aid to commission Koenig.

The progressive program "centered around trial and error" and "utilizing new building materials and building in locations that maybe before the engineering didn’t really permit," stated an authority from a local preservation society. "All those things are integrated into a place like the Stahl house, which was innovative, modern and inconceivable in terms of how it was erected on that site that everyone else believed, at the time, was not feasible."

Realization and Famous Legacy

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and work began in May 1959. According to the family, construction amounted to "a mere $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The outcome was "a perfect representation of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the expert noted.

Soon after the build ended, a renowned architectural photographer took what is possibly the most well-known image of the home. Taken through the enormous glass windows, the photograph features two women positioned in the home’s living room but looking to levitate over the Los Angeles skyline.

"In my opinion the enduring influence of this photo is due to the way it communicates an concept about residing in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both metropolitan and removed from it," said a head of an architectural firm and adjunct professor at a major university.

Protected Recognition

The home has made memorable cameos in film, television and music videos, including several popular titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Coming Custodianship

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

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

"For enthusiasts of style, supporters of architecture, or institutions seeking to safeguard an national treasure, there is simply no equal," the listing say. "This is not merely a transaction; it is a handover of custody – a quest for the next guardian who will honor the house’s legacy, value its original vision, and guarantee its preservation for future generations."

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

"I believe any time a long-term steward, and a stewardship like this, is changing ownership of a residence like this, it always creates a little bit of a concern – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their aims will be. And do they comprehend and cherish the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"