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The famous Stahl house, a epitome of mid-century modern architectural design, is up for sale for the first time in its entire history.

This suspended residence, perched in the Hollywood Hills area, was listed on the real estate market this recent week. The price tag stands at a substantial $25 million.

Family Decision to Part With

The Stahl family, who have owned the property for its entire 65-year existence, released a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They stated that the property had grown too difficult to maintain.

"This house has been the heart of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become increasingly challenging to maintain it with the care and energy it so richly deserves," commented the offspring of the first owners.

They further stated that the time had come to find a new "custodian" for the house – "a person who not only recognizes its design legacy but also grasps its place in the cultural history of LA and elsewhere."

Humble Inception

The inception of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the original owners bought a hilly plot of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a famous symbol of the city, the residents often emphasized that "no famous individuals ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "working-class family living in a white-collar house."

Design Undertaking

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

In November 1957, the owners met with architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to undertake the project. With assistance from the influential Case Study program, spearheaded by a prominent magazine editor, the family received financial aid to commission Koenig.

The modernist program "centered around experimentation" and "employing new building materials and erecting in locations that maybe previously the technology didn’t really permit," stated an authority from a regional conservancy. "All those things are wrapped up into a property like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, progressive and unthinkable in terms of how it was built on that site that everyone else thought, at the time, was unbuildable."

Realization and Cultural Legacy

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and construction started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction totaled "only $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The outcome was "a perfect representation of what everyone thinks LA is and should be," the authority added.

Soon after completion, a celebrated architectural photographer took what is perhaps the most famous picture of the home. Captured through the full-length glass windows, the photo features two women seated in the home’s living room but seeming to hover over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I believe the long-standing impact of that image is due to the way it communicates an idea about dwelling in Los Angeles, an duality about being both metropolitan and detached from it," said a head of an architectural firm and educator at a leading university.

Cultural Designation

The home has had memorable appearances in film, television and music videos, including several popular 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.

Coming Ownership

The home continues to be open for visits, as it has been for the past 17 years, although all slots are currently fully booked through February. In their statement concerning the sale, the family indicated they would give "ample notice" before stopping the tours.

The listing for the home stresses finding a new owner who will conserve the spirit of the space.

"For enthusiasts of architecture, supporters of building, or entities seeking to safeguard an American masterpiece, there is simply nothing comparable," the description state. "This is not merely a purchase; it is a handover of custody – a quest for the next steward who will respect the house’s legacy, respect its architectural purity, and guarantee its preservation for posterity."

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

"I think any time a long-term steward, and a stewardship like this, is changing ownership 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 plans will be. And do they understand and cherish the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"