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The celebrated Stahl house, a paragon of midcentury modern architecture, is now available for the first time in its entire history.

This suspended dwelling, situated in the Hollywood Hills, appeared on the real estate market this recent week. The asking price stands at an impressive $25 million.

Stewards Move to Part With

The Stahl family, who have owned the home for its complete 65-year history, issued a announcement regarding their choice to sell. They expressed that the property had grown too difficult to maintain.

"This home has been the heart of our lives for many years, but as we’ve aged, it has become increasingly challenging to maintain it with the dedication and vigor it so richly deserves," stated the descendants of the initial owners.

They further stated that the moment had come to find a new "custodian" for the house – "someone who not only recognizes its architectural importance but also understands its role in the cultural history of Los Angeles and further afield."

Unassuming Origins

The beginnings of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the original owners purchased a mountainous parcel of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a renowned icon of the city, the owners often emphasized that "nobody famous ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Architectural Feat

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

In November 1957, the family met with architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to take on the task. With support from the influential Case Study program, spearheaded by a leading magazine editor, the Stahls received support to hire Koenig.

The modernist program "was about trial and error" and "employing new materials and erecting in places that maybe previously the technology didn’t really allow," stated an authority from a regional conservancy. "All those things are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, progressive and unthinkable in terms of how it was constructed on that plot that everyone else thought, at the time, was unbuildable."

Finalization and Iconic Impact

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and construction started in May 1959. According to the residents, construction totaled "just $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The result was "the ultimate vision of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the expert noted.

Soon after construction was finished, a famous architectural photographer captured what is perhaps the most well-known picture of the home. Shot through the full-length glass windows, the image shows two women positioned in the home’s living room but looking to levitate over the city skyline.

"I think the long-standing effect of that photograph is due to the way it conveys an notion about dwelling in Los Angeles, an duality about being both in the city and detached from it," stated a principal of an architectural company and lecturer at a prominent university.

Historic Designation

The home has enjoyed memorable cameos in movies, television and videos, including several famous 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 added as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Custodianship

The home remains open for tours, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all slots are currently sold out through February. In their announcement concerning the sale, the family indicated they would give "plenty of advance notice" before discontinuing the tours.

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

"For enthusiasts of design, advocates of architecture, or organizations seeking to preserve an national treasure, there is simply nothing comparable," the listing say. "This goes beyond a purchase; it is a passing of responsibility – a search for the next steward who will honor the house’s past, value its architectural purity, and ensure its protection for posterity."

The expert agreed that the selection of new owner would be a vital one, given the home’s legacy.

"In my view any time a longtime owner, and a stewardship 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 intentions will be. And will they grasp and cherish the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"