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The celebrated Stahl house, a paragon of modernist architectural design, is up for sale for the very first time in its complete history.

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

Stewards Decision to Part With

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the residence for its full 65-year timeline, released a statement regarding their choice to sell. They noted that the house had grown increasingly challenging to upkeep.

"This residence has been the center of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve aged, it has become progressively harder to care for it with the attention and effort it so rightfully warrants," stated the offspring of the original owners.

They added that the time had come to find a new "steward" for the house – "an individual who not only recognizes its architectural importance but also grasps its place in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and further afield."

Modest Origins

The origins of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the original owners acquired a hilly plot of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a famous icon of the city, the residents often pointed out that "no famous individuals ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "working-class family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Design Feat

The initial design for the Stahl house was developed during the summer months of 1956. However, many designers were at first wary to construct it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the owners met with architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to accept the project. With support from the notable Case Study program, led by a key magazine editor, the owners received subsidies to commission Koenig.

The modernist program "was about experimentation" and "using new building materials and building in locations that maybe before the technology didn’t really allow," stated an authority from a local conservancy. "All those things are combined into a place like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and unimaginable in terms of how it was constructed on that site that everyone else believed, at the time, was unbuildable."

Finalization and Iconic Legacy

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

Soon after construction was finished, a celebrated architectural photographer took what is perhaps the most famous image of the home. Shot through the enormous glass windows, the photo shows two women positioned in the home’s living room but seeming to levitate over the LA skyline.

"I believe the lasting impact of this photo is due to the way it conveys an idea about dwelling in Los Angeles, an duality about being both in the city and removed from it," commented a head of an architectural practice and lecturer at a leading university.

Historic Recognition

The home has enjoyed historic cameos in cinema, TV and music videos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city designated the Stahl house a historic-cultural landmark, and in 2013, the house was listed as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Stewardship

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 said they would give "plenty of advance notice" before ending the tours.

The listing for the home highlights finding a new owner who will preserve the spirit of the space.

"For connoisseurs of design, advocates of design, or organizations seeking to safeguard an iconic work, there is simply no equal," the listing say. "This goes beyond a purchase; it is a handover of custody – a quest for the next custodian who will honor the house’s legacy, respect its design integrity, and ensure its conservation for generations to come."

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

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