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The celebrated Stahl house, a epitome of modernist architecture, is up for sale for the initial occasion in its entire history.

This cantilevered residence, perched in the Hollywood Hills area, hit the real estate market this past week. The asking price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Family Choice to Sell

The Stahl family, who have owned the residence for its complete 65-year existence, shared a announcement regarding their resolution to sell. They noted that the property had proven excessively demanding to upkeep.

"This home has been the heart of our lives for decades, but as we’ve grown older, it has become more difficult to care for it with the dedication and energy it so rightfully warrants," stated the offspring of the first owners.

They continued that the time had come to find a new "steward" for the house – "someone who not only recognizes its architectural importance but also grasps its place in the cultural fabric of LA and elsewhere."

Unassuming Origins

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

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a famous icon of the city, the family 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 original design for the Stahl house was created during the summer of 1956. However, many builders were at first wary to construct it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the family interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to undertake the task. With backing from the prominent Case Study program, pioneered by a prominent magazine editor, the owners received support to commission Koenig.

The modernist program "centered around innovation" and "utilizing new building materials and building in places that maybe before the engineering didn’t really permit," stated an specialist from a local conservancy. "All these elements are combined into a site like the Stahl house, which was innovative, modern and unthinkable in terms of how it was constructed on that plot that everyone else believed, at the time, was unbuildable."

Realization and Cultural Legacy

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and construction commenced in May 1959. According to the family, construction totaled "only $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The final product was "a perfect representation of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the authority noted.

Soon after the build ended, a renowned architectural photographer took what is possibly the most well-known photograph of the home. Shot through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the photo features two women sitting in the home’s living room but seeming to hover over the LA skyline.

"In my opinion the long-standing influence of that image is due to the way it conveys an concept about dwelling in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both urban and removed from it," stated a founder of an architectural firm and educator at a leading university.

Protected Status

The home has enjoyed historic features in film, broadcast and music videos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city designated the Stahl house a protected monument, and in 2013, the house was added as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next Ownership

The home is still open for visits, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all slots are currently reserved through February. In their release concerning the sale, the family said they would give "ample notice" before ending the tours.

The listing for the home emphasizes finding a new owner who will preserve the character of the space.

"For connoisseurs of architecture, patrons of design, or organizations seeking to safeguard an national treasure, there is simply no parallel," the listing say. "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, value its architectural purity, and guarantee its conservation for future generations."

The expert affirmed that the choice of new owner would be a vital one, given the home’s past.

"In my view any time a longtime owner, and a custodianship like this, is changing ownership of a property like this, it always creates a little bit of a hesitation – because you never know what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And can they grasp and appreciate the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"