The edge of the Sonoran Desert in Southern California is in the throes of Palm Springs Modernism Week 2022. The beloved architecture festival is now back for its newest edition, running 17 – 27 February 2022 in various locations in the design-savvy town. Arid Californian landscapes, dreamy modernist architecture, art, product design, the golden era of Hollywood and poolside glamour all play a role in this fabulous feast of all things midcentury. There are some 350 events on offer, including the returning Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale, plenty of tours of iconic homes, as well as neighbourhood tours and more. What better place to escape to?
Top picks at Palm Springs Modernism Week 2022
Forgotten Frey: Albert Frey’s Cree House
Cree House in Cathedral City is up for sale
Cree House is one of the lesser-known works by acclaimed California architect Albert Frey. The man behind Palm Springs classics, such as Frey House II, Loewy House and the Tramway Gas Station with its famous ‘flying’ canopy, created this hidden gem around 1955. Having worked with Le Corbusier and influenced by modernist teachings from Europe, Frey worked on this private residence in Cathedral City; left neglected for years and fell into disrepair before it got restored to its former glory for Palm Springs Modernism Week 2019. Elements such as the exterior and interior wall panels, the fluted fibreglass deck pieces, kitchen appliances and cabinets have been preserved and remain part of this Desert Modernist house.
Premier Double Decker Architectural Bus Tour
One of Palm Springs’ most famous homes, the Kaufmann House by Richard Neutra.
Granted, this is not a new event on the agenda; but it is possibly the best, biggest and most loved architecture tour in Palm Springs Modernism Week’s history. Hop on an open-top bus to experience the city’s architecture under the sunny skies and from a unique vantage point, atop a double decker bus. The tour goes through the centre of Palm Springs and several key landmarks and historical neighbourhoods, offering a great overview of the area’s architecture and urban feel.
Twin Palms guided walking tour
Hugh Kaptur (b. 1931) is one of Palm Springs’ most prolific architects and part of a group of modernists who defined Desert Modernism. Pictured here is his house for Hollywood actor Steve McQueen.
If you prefer walking, take this tour for an insider’s look into one of Palm Springs’ most coveted and older neighbourhoods for midcentury architecture. Peek into homes and stroll around blocks to admire the works of Hugh Kaptur, William Krisel, Donald Wexler, and more, accompanied by juicy information from the tour’s knowledgeable guides.
Julius Shulman’s Modern San Diego
One of the photographer's subjects, Chuey House.
Acclaimed architectural photographer Julius Shulman produced over 200 projects, documenting some of the USA's most exciting modernist architecture along the way. San Diego was one of his focused projects and here, curator Keith York discussed the creative's extensive body of work and lasting influence across the decades.
INFORMATION
modernismweek.com
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The bespoke Jaguar E-Type GTO melds elements from every era of the classic sports carECD Automotive Design’s one-off commission caters to a client who wanted to combine the greatest hits of Jaguar’s E-Type along with modern conveniences and more power
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Casa Sanlorenzo debuts in Venice as a new hub for contemporary artThe luxury yachting leader unveils a stunning new space in a palazzo restored by Piero Lissoni – where art, innovation, and sustainability come together
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Once vacant, London's grand department stores are getting a new lease on lifeThanks to imaginative redevelopment, these historic landmarks are being rebonr as residences, offices, gyms and restaurants. Here's what's behind the trend
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Tour architect Paul Schweikher’s house, a Chicago midcentury masterpieceNow hidden in the Chicago suburbs, architect Paul Schweikher's former home and studio is an understated midcentury masterpiece; we explore it, revisiting a story from the Wallpaper* archives, first published in April 2009
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The world of Bart Prince, where architecture is born from the inside outFor the Albuquerque architect Bart Prince, function trumps form, and all building starts from the inside out; we revisit a profile from the Wallpaper* archive, first published in April 2009
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Is embracing nature the key to a more fire-resilient Los Angeles? These landscape architects think soFor some, an executive order issued by California governor Gavin Newsom does little to address the complexities of living within an urban-wildland interface
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Hop on this Fire Island Pines tour, marking Pride Month and the start of the summerA Fire Island Pines tour through the work of architecture studio BOND is hosted by The American Institute of Architects New York in celebration of Pride Month; join the fun
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A night at Pierre Jeanneret’s house, Chandigarh’s best-kept secretPierre Jeanneret’s house in Chandigarh is a modernist monument, an important museum of architectural history, and a gem hidden in plain sight; architect, photographer and writer Nipun Prabhakar spent the night and reported back
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A Laurel Canyon house shows off its midcentury architecture bonesWe step inside a refreshed modernist Laurel Canyon house, the family home of Annie Ritz and Daniel Rabin of And And And Studio
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A refreshed Rockefeller Wing reopens with a bang at The Met in New YorkThe Met's Michael C Rockefeller Wing gets a refresh by Kulapat Yantrasast's WHY Architecture, bringing light, air and impact to the galleries devoted to arts from Africa, Oceania and the Ancient Americas
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Lina Bo Bardi, the misunderstood modernist, and her influential architectureA sense of mystery clings to Lina Bo Bardi, a modernist who defined 20th-century Brazilian architecture, making waves still felt in her field; here, we explore her work and lasting influence
