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The renowned Stahl house, a epitome of midcentury modern design, is currently listed for the very first time in its entire history.

This overhanging residence, nestled in the Hollywood Hills area, was listed on the market this week. The listing price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Family Choice to Part With

The Stahl family, who have been the proprietors of the property for its full 65-year existence, issued a declaration regarding their decision to sell. They noted that the dwelling had grown excessively demanding to maintain.

"This house has been the core of our lives for many years, but as we’ve aged, it has become progressively harder to care for it with the dedication and vigor it so richly deserves," commented the descendants of the initial owners.

They further stated that the moment had arrived to find a new "steward" for the house – "someone who not only values its design legacy but also grasps its role in the cultural fabric of the city and elsewhere."

Humble Origins

The origins of the Stahl house trace back to May 1954, when the initial owners bought a mountainous patch of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills area for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a well-known symbol of the city, the family often stressed that "no famous individuals ever lived here," referring to themselves as a "working-class family living in a white-collar house."

Construction Undertaking

The first design for the Stahl house was created during the warm season of 1956. However, many architects were initially hesitant to erect it on the difficult hillside.

In November 1957, the family consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to take on the challenge. With backing from the influential Case Study program, led by a key magazine editor, the owners received financial aid to commission Koenig.

The modernist program "focused on trial and error" and "utilizing new resources and building in places that maybe previously the techniques didn’t really enable," remarked an expert from a local heritage organization. "All these elements are integrated into a property like the Stahl house, which was avant-garde, contemporary and unimaginable in terms of how it was built on that site that everyone else considered, at the time, was impossible to build."

Finalization and Iconic Impact

The Stahl house became Case Study house No. 22, and construction started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction cost "a mere $37,500" and the home was finished by May 1960. The result was "a perfect representation of what everyone envisions 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. Taken through the enormous glass windows, the photograph depicts two women seated in the home’s living room but looking to float over the city skyline.

"In my opinion the enduring impact of the image is due to the way it expresses an notion about residing in Los Angeles, an contrast about being both in the city and removed from it," stated a principal of an architectural practice and adjunct professor at a prominent university.

Protected Status

The home has made notable cameos in film, broadcast and music videos, including several famous 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 included 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 previous 17 years, although all slots are currently sold out through February. In their statement concerning the sale, the family stated they would give "ample notice" before stopping the tours.

The property description for the home highlights finding a new owner who will conserve the essence of the space.

"For connoisseurs of architecture, advocates of building, or organizations seeking to protect an American masterpiece, there is simply no equal," the details say. "This goes beyond a sale; it is a transfer of stewardship – a hunt for the next custodian who will celebrate the house’s legacy, respect its design integrity, and ensure its preservation for posterity."

The specialist agreed that the decision of purchaser would be a vital one, given the home’s past.

"I believe any time a original family, and a stewardship like this, is changing ownership of a home like this, it always gives us a little bit of a concern – because you never know what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And do they understand and value the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"