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The celebrated Stahl house, a quintessential example of midcentury modern design, is now available for the first time in its entire history.

This suspended dwelling, perched in the Hollywood Hills, hit the market this recent week. The price tag stands at a notable $25 million.

Stewards Move to Sell

The Stahl family, who have owned the property for its complete 65-year timeline, released a statement regarding their decision to sell. They expressed that the house had proven excessively demanding to upkeep.

"This residence has been the core of our lives for many years, but as we’ve grown older, it has become increasingly challenging to maintain it with the dedication and energy it so truly merits," commented the descendants of the initial owners.

They further stated that the period had emerged to find a new "guardian" for the house – "a person who not only recognizes its architectural significance but also understands its position in the cultural history of Los Angeles and beyond."

Modest Origins

The beginnings of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the original owners purchased a sloped patch of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house growing into a well-known representation of the city, the family often emphasized that "no famous individuals ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Architectural Feat

The initial design for the Stahl house was conceived during the warm season of 1956. However, many builders were originally reluctant to build it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the family consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to undertake the project. With assistance from the notable Case Study program, spearheaded by a key magazine editor, the owners received financial aid to hire Koenig.

The progressive program "was about innovation" and "using new building materials and erecting in places that maybe before the engineering didn’t really permit," commented an expert from a city heritage organization. "Each of these factors are wrapped up into a property like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, modern and unthinkable in terms of how it was erected on that location that everyone else thought, at the time, was not feasible."

Completion and Famous Impact

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and building started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction amounted to "just $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The result was "the ultimate vision of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the expert noted.

Soon after the build ended, a celebrated architectural photographer captured what is perhaps the most well-known picture of the home. Taken through the full-length glass windows, the image shows two women sitting in the home’s living room but appearing to levitate over the Los Angeles skyline.

"I think the long-standing impact of the image is due to the way it expresses an notion about residing in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both urban and detached from it," said a founder of an architectural practice and educator at a leading university.

Cultural Status

The home has made memorable cameos in film, television and music videos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

Future Stewardship

The home continues to be open for public viewings, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all tours are currently reserved through February. In their release regarding the sale, the family said they would give "plenty of advance notice" before stopping the tours.

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

"For enthusiasts of architecture, advocates of building, or organizations seeking to protect an American masterpiece, there is simply nothing comparable," the description state. "This is not merely a transaction; it is a transfer of stewardship – a hunt for the next steward who will celebrate the house’s history, value its original vision, and guarantee its protection for generations to come."

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

"In my view any time a original family, and a custodianship like this, is changing ownership of a residence like this, it always creates a little bit of a hesitation – because you are unsure what the next owner, what their aims will be. And can they grasp and value the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"