Modernism Week: what to see in Palm Springs 2021
Palm Springs Modernism Week is back, ready to inform and regale us with images of dreamy modernist architecture, desert landscapes and legendary, carefree California parties. As a response to the pandemic, the traditional February programme, has been re-worked for the digital realm, dubbed Modernism Week Online Experience, and held between 1 – 28 February 2021. A second segment is coming up in April, dedicated to more physical events. For now, here are our top picks from this year's virtual programme
Signature Home Tour Video Series
Touring modernist homes is an annual staple at the Palm Springs Modernism Week, and the online expression is no exception. Coming in two installments as a video series, tours this year feature iconic architecture and lesser known gems in various of the city's neighbourhoods. Examples include The Morse Residence (by Hal Levitt, 1961), The Cahuilla Hills House by O’Donnell + Escalante (by Lance O’Donnell, 2009), The Southridge Glass House (by William Cody, 1963), Trina Turk’s Ship of the Desert (by Erle Webster and Adrian Wilson, 1936), and Martyn Lawrence Bullard’s Villa Grigio (by James McNaughton, 1963).
The 1931 Aluminaire House Comes to Palm Springs
A film tells the story of the Aluminaire House, which was designed by celebrated desert modernist Albert Frey and A. Lawrence Kocher. Aluminaire was designed for a 1931 exhibition in New York City and shows clear influences from Frey's time in Paris, as an employee at Le Corbusier's studio. The modernist house has now been moved and found a permanent home on the grounds of the Palm Springs Art Museum.
‘Best of Modernism' Auction
This year's programme features an online auction of rare and distinctive items, linked to the theme of ‘Modernism'. Online bidding will be open between February 1 – 15 and spans experiences and specialty pieces. Overnight stays at key modernist hotels and homes, a private helicopter tour, signed photographs by iconic photographer Julius Shulman and art by Leo Marmol of Marmol Radziner are among the offerings. Grab your cards and get bidding, from February 1 at 12 p.m. PST.
Hollywood Revisited Online Musical Extravaganza
Palm Springs is well known for its iconic desert modernism, but it's equally famed for attracting the Hollywood elite during the cinema's golden age. Cue parties, cocktails and all manner of extravaganzas. These are reflected in the musical Hollywood Revisited, which sold out three years in a row during Modernism Week. For 2021, the event takes place virtually, continuing to convey the glitz and the glamour Palm Springs has come to become synonymous with.
Modern New Canaan – Evolution of Design: Bauhaus | Harvard GSD| New Canaan
Breaking beyond the geographical boundaries of Palm Springs to explore modernism in America as a whole, this screening takes the audience to New Canaan in Connecticut. This East Coast town became a centre of midcentury modern architecture during the 20th century. The film visits three of New Canaan's most iconic houses and talks to the homeowners who cherish them.
Philip Johnson and the Glass House
Plenty of talks will be broadcast during the Modernism Week in February, including this one, on Philip Johnson's Glass House. Ian Volner, author of the new book, ‘Philip Johnson – A Visual Biography’ and Wallpaper* contributor, is joined by Hilary Lewis, chief curator and creative director of the Glass House. The event includes a tour of the 47-acre compound and new footage of the house.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
The 2024 Ivor Novello nominations for songwriting have been revealed
77 British and Irish songwriters and composers make up this year's nominees, announced tonight at London's Groucho Club
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Why Bollinger’s La Grande Année 2015 champagne is worth celebrating
Champagne Bollinger unveils La Grande Année 2015 and La Grande Année Rosé 2015, two outstanding cuvées from an exceptional year in wine-making
By Melina Keays Published
-
Lexus installation explores time at Milan Design Week 2024
Lexus brought designer Hideki Yoshimoto’s ‘Beyond the Horizon’ to Milan’s Art Point, part of its ongoing series of collaborations with Fuorisalone
By Nargess Shahmanesh Banks Published
-
Shigeru Ban’s mini Paper Log House welcomed at The Glass House
'Shigeru Ban: The Paper Log House' is shown at The Glass House in New Canaan, USA as the house museum of American architect Philip Johnson plays host to the Japanese architect’s model temporary home concept
By Adrian Madlener Published
-
Ray Phoenix to rise in Arizona
Ray Phoenix housing project launches, designed by Johnston Marklee, who worked with Lamar Johnson Collaborative, for property experts Ray and Vela
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A low-energy farmhouse provides a rural escape in North Carolina
This low-energy farmhouse is a net zero architectural re-set for a Californian client, an East Coast relocation for a more engaged and low-key lifestyle
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A Petra Island house rises from Frank Lloyd Wright's original drawings
Based on Frank Lloyd Wright drawings, the cantilevering Petra Island Massaro House, located in New York’s Hudson Valley, is now open to visitors
By Craig Kellogg Published
-
Modernist architecture: inspiration from across the globe
Modernist architecture has had a tremendous influence on today’s built environment, making these midcentury marvels some of the most closely studied 20th-century buildings; check back soon for new additions to our list
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Louis Kahn's modernist mastermind celebrated through new collaborations
The legacy of modernist architect Louis Kahn lives on to inspire a new generation, thanks to collaborations with family and fans
By Marina Cashdan Published
-
An Upper West Side apartment by General Assembly nods to its history
An Upper West Side apartment in New York, born out of the reimagining of two neighbouring units, is refreshed by General Assembly for a young family
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Royan Architecture Month showcases French modernism by the sea
Royan Architecture Month 2024 launches in the French city, where many travel to see midcentury builds by the sea, from Notre Dame church to Palais des Congrès
By Stacy Suaya Published