Architecture of the Rich and Famous in Palm Springs

Mid-Century or Midcentury? Any way you spell it (and both are correct), the modern designs of world class architects from the middle part of the 20th century continue to define Palm Springs, California. Nestled in the Coachella Valley and surrounded by mountains and deserts, Palm Springs, California is only a few hours drive from the bustle and tinsel of Hollywood. As the entertainment industry enveloped the Los Angeles area during the 1900s, Palm Springs became a favorite getaway for the many starlets and socialites who were making money faster than they could spend it. Palm Springs, with its abundant year-round sunshine, became a refuge for a game of golf followed by cocktails around the swimming pool — a fast-lane lifestyle of the rich and famous. The 1947 Sinatra House, with a swimming pool shaped like a grand piano, is but one example of the architecture from this period. Architectural Styles in Palm Springs The building boom in the United States after World War II enticed LA architects to Palm Springs — architects go where the money is. Modernism had taken hold throughout Europe and already immigrated to the US. Southern California architects adapted ideas from the Bauhaus movement and the International Style, creating an elegant yet informal style that is often called Desert Modernism. As you explore Palm Springs, look for these important styles: Desert ModernismArt ModerneSpanish EclecticGoogieTiki Fast Facts: Palm Springs Every year Modernism Week celebrates the many mid-century modern houses in Palm Springs, located about 100 miles (2 hours) east of Los Angeles, California.Original settlers were Cahuilla Native Americans, called Agua Caliente or hot water by Spanish explorers.California became the 31st state in 1850. U.S. surveyors first described the area of palm trees and mineral springs as Palm Springs in 1853. John Guthrie McCallum (1826-1897) and his family were the first white settlers in 1884.The Southern Pacific Railroad completed an East/West line in 1877 — the railroad owned every other square mile surrounding the tracks, creating a checkerboard of property ownership seen today.Palm Springs became a health resort, its mineral springs a sanitorium for the treatment of tuberculosis.Palm Springs was incorporated in 1938. Singer/celebrity Sonny Bono was the 16th Mayor of Palm Springs from 1988 to 1992.As early as 1919, Palm Springs was used as a ready-made set for many Hollywood silent m ovies. It quickly became a playland for people in the movie industry, because of its proximity to LA. Even today Palm Springs is known as The Playground of the Stars. Architects of Palm Springs Modernism Palm Springs, California is a virtual museum of Mid-Century Modern architecture with possibly the worlds largest and best-preserved examples of elegant homes and landmark buildings constructed during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Here is a sampling of what youll find when visiting Palm Springs: Alexander Homes: Working with several architects, the George Alexander Construction Company built more than 2,500 homes in Palm Springs and established a modernist approach to housing that was imitated throughout the United States. Learn about Alexander Homes. William Cody (1916-1978): No, not Buffalo Bill Cody, but the Ohio-born architect William Francis Cody, FAIA, who designed many homes, hotels, and commercial projects in Palm Springs, Phoenix, San Diego, Palo Alto, and Havana. Check out the 1947 Del Marcos Hotel, the 1952 Perlberg, and the 1968 St. Theresa Catholic Church. Albert Frey (1903-1998): Swiss architect Albert Frey worked for Le Corbusier before moving to the United States and becoming a Palm Springs resident. The futuristic buildings he designed launched the movement that became known as Desert Modernism. Some of his must-see buildings include these: 1949-1963 (with Robson Chambers): Tramway Valley Station1957 (with John Porter Clark, Robson Chambers, and E. Stewart Williams): Palm Springs City Hall1963: Frey House II1963-1965 (with Robson Chambers): Tramway Gas Station, now the Palm Springs Visitors Center John Lautner (1911-1994): Michigan-born architect John Lautner was an apprentice to Wisconsin-born Frank Lloyd Wright for six years before establishing his own practice in Los Angeles. Lautner is known for incorporating rocks and other landscape elements into his designs. Examples of his work in Palm Springs include: 1968: The Arthur Elrod House1979: The Bob and Delores Hope House Richard Neutra (1892-1970): Born and educated in Europe, Austrian Bauhaus architect Richard Neutra placed dramatic glass and steel homes in rugged California desert landscapes. Neutras most famous home in Palm Springs are these: 1937: Grace Lewis Miller House, the winter home of the St. Louis socialite1946: Kaufmann House, the same Kaufmanns who commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935 to build Fallingwater in Pennsylvania Donald Wexler (1926-2015): Architect Donald Wexler worked for Richard Neutra in Los Angeles, and then for William Cody in Palm Springs. He partnered with Richard Harrison before establishing his own firm. Wexler designs includes: 1961-1962: Steel Development Houses constructed by the Alexander Construction Company1961-1962: The Royal Hawaiian Estates, tiki style condominium complex in Palm Springs1965: Palm Springs Airport Original Terminal Building Paul Williams (1894-1980): Los Angeles architect Paul Revere Williams designed more than 2000 homes in southern California. He also designed: 1937: International Style clubhouse for the Tennis Club on Baristo Road, Palm Springs1954: Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz home E. Stewart Williams (1909-2005): The son of Ohio architect Harry Williams, E. Stewart Williams built some of Palm Springs most significant buildings during a long and prolific career. Must-see: 1947: House for Frank Sinatra1954: The Edris House1960: Coachella Valley Savings and Loan (now Washington Mutual)1963: Tramway Upper Station1976: Palm Springs Desert Museum (now the Palm Springs Art Museum) Lloyd Wright (1890-1978): Son of the famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Lloyd Wright was trained in landscape design by the Olmsted brothers and worked with his famous father developing the concrete textile block buildings in Los Angeles. Lloyd Wrights projects in and near Palm Springs include: 1923: Oasis Hotel, a distinctive Art Deco building with a 40-foot tower. Desert Modernism Near Palm Springs: Sunnylands, 1966, in Rancho Mirage, by architect A. Quincy Jones (1913-1979) Travel to Palm Springs for the Architecture As the center of Mid-Century Modernism, Palm Springs, California hosts many architecture conferences, tours, and other events. Most famous is Modernism Week held in February each year.   Several beautifully restored hotels in Palm Springs, California recreate the experience of mid-twentieth century living, complete with reproduction fabrics and furnishings by major designers of the period. The Chase HotelStudio rooms that recreate the 1950s.The Orbit InTwo sister inns, the Orbit In and the Hideaway, with a retro flair.RendezvousNostalgic 1950s theme rooms and gourmet breakfasts. Hotel History and DetailsLHorizon HotelDesigned by William Cody in 1952. Hotel History and DetailsThe Movie Colony HotelDesigned by Albert Frey in 1935. Hotel History and DetailsThe Monkey Tree HotelA 16-room restored boutique hotel designed in 1960 by Albert Frey. Sources History, City of Palm Springs, CA