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The celebrated Stahl house, a quintessential example of modernist architecture, is currently listed for the initial occasion in its complete history.

This cantilevered home, nestled in the Hollywood Hills area, was listed on the real estate market this week. The listing price stands at an impressive $25 million.

Family Move to Part With

The Stahl family, who have held title to the property for its full 65-year existence, issued a declaration regarding their choice to sell. They noted that the house had proven too difficult to upkeep.

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

They added that the time had come to find a new "steward" for the house – "a person who not only appreciates its architectural significance but also comprehends its place in the cultural history of LA and elsewhere."

Modest Inception

The inception of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the initial owners acquired a sloped patch of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a famous representation of the city, the residents often pointed out that "no famous individuals ever lived here," describing themselves as a "average family living in a luxury house."

Design Challenge

The first design for the Stahl house was conceived during the summer of 1956. However, many designers were initially hesitant to construct it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the family interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to accept the challenge. With backing from the notable Case Study program, spearheaded by a key magazine editor, the family received financial aid to engage Koenig.

The progressive program "was about trial and error" and "using new materials and erecting in places that maybe before the techniques didn’t really permit," commented an specialist from a regional conservancy. "Each of these factors are wrapped up into a property like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, progressive and inconceivable in terms of how it was built on that location that everyone else believed, at the time, was not feasible."

Realization and Iconic Impact

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and construction started in May 1959. According to the residents, construction cost "only $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The outcome was "the ultimate vision of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the expert added.

Soon after the build ended, a renowned architectural photographer shot what is perhaps the most well-known image of the home. Shot through the full-length glass windows, the image shows two women sitting in the home’s living room but seeming to levitate over the city skyline.

"In my opinion the long-standing impact of that photograph is due to the way it conveys an idea about living in Los Angeles, an duality about being both in the city and removed from it," commented a head of an architectural firm and lecturer at a prominent university.

Historic Recognition

The home has made historic appearances in movies, television and music videos, including several well-known 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 included as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Stewardship

The home remains open for tours, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all tours are currently reserved through February. In their statement announcing the sale, the family said they would give "plenty of advance notice" before stopping the tours.

The listing for the home emphasizes finding a purchaser who will conserve the essence of the space.

"For enthusiasts of design, patrons of architecture, or entities seeking to preserve an iconic work, there is simply no parallel," the listing say. "This goes beyond a transaction; it is a handover of custody – a hunt for the next custodian who will respect the house’s past, value its design integrity, and guarantee its protection for future generations."

The specialist affirmed that the decision of new owner would be a critical one, given the home’s past.

"I believe any time a longtime owner, and a custodianship like this, is changing ownership of a home like this, it always gives us a little bit of a pause – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their plans will be. And can they grasp and appreciate the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"