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The renowned Stahl house, a paragon of mid-century modern architecture, is up for sale for the very first time in its whole history.

This suspended dwelling, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, appeared on the market this week. The price tag stands at a notable $25 million.

Family Decision to Part With

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the home for its full 65-year timeline, issued a statement regarding their choice to sell. They expressed that the property had become increasingly challenging to upkeep.

"This house has been the core of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become increasingly challenging to maintain it with the attention and vigor it so truly merits," commented the children of the first owners.

They continued that the period had arrived to find a new "custodian" for the house – "a person who not only values its design legacy but also understands its place in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and further afield."

Humble Inception

The origins of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the first owners purchased a sloped plot of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills neighborhood for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a renowned representation of the city, the residents often stressed that "no famous individuals ever lived here," describing themselves as a "average family living in a white-collar house."

Architectural Challenge

The first design for the Stahl house was created during the summer months of 1956. However, many designers were originally hesitant to erect it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the family met with architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to accept the challenge. With backing from the influential Case Study program, pioneered by a prominent magazine editor, the owners received financial aid to commission Koenig.

The modernist program "was about experimentation" and "using new resources and erecting in places that maybe previously the techniques didn’t really permit," stated an specialist from a local heritage organization. "All these elements are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was innovative, progressive and inconceivable in terms of how it was constructed on that location that everyone else thought, at the time, was impossible to build."

Realization and Famous Influence

The Stahl house was designated Case Study house No. 22, and building started in May 1959. According to the family, construction cost "a mere $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The final product was "the ultimate vision of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the authority noted.

Soon after construction was finished, a famous architectural photographer captured what is arguably the most well-known photograph of the home. Taken through the full-length glass windows, the photo shows two women positioned in the home’s living room but appearing to float over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I believe the long-standing impact of this photograph is due to the way it communicates an notion about living in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both urban and removed from it," stated a principal of an architectural firm and educator at a major university.

Cultural Recognition

The home has enjoyed notable cameos in movies, television and promos, 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 added as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Stewardship

The home is still open for public viewings, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all appointments are currently reserved through February. In their statement regarding the sale, the family said they would give "ample notice" before stopping the tours.

The sales details for the home highlights finding a new owner who will maintain the essence of the space.

"For enthusiasts of architecture, patrons of building, or institutions seeking to safeguard an national treasure, there is simply no equal," the details say. "This goes beyond a sale; it is a handover of custody – a hunt for the next guardian who will celebrate the house’s past, value its original vision, and secure its conservation for future generations."

The authority affirmed that the choice of new owner would be a critical one, given the home’s legacy.

"I think any time a long-term steward, and a stewardship like this, is being sold of a residence like this, it always causes a little bit of a pause – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their plans will be. And do they comprehend and appreciate the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"