This self-driving tour of mid-century churches around Palm Springs, new to the 2018 programme of Modernism Week events, presents participants the chance to learn about the town’s most interesting church architecture.
Curated by Michael Kunkle, a Palm Springs local with a passion for mid-century modernism and his mother Ruth Ritter, who just moved to Palm Springs from South Carolina this year, the tour is a unique way to explore the town during Modernism Week.
The tour allowed Kunkle and Ritter to combine their knowledge in a creative way; mixing Kunkle’s architectural and design expertise with Ritter’s experience of churches and religion – and it was a way for the pair to spend time together and build Ritter’s new community network in Palm Springs.
‘In addition to the fantastic architecture, we have learned that the church history here in Coachella valley is colourful: Indians, earthquakes, hardships, cooperation, support and inclusion,’ says Kunkle.
First stop on the Sacred Places tour is the First Baptist Church Palm Springs, designed by architect Howard Lapham in 1963, a textured concrete building with a geometric stained glass window. Kunkle’s tour reveals details such as how materials for the church were donated and it was the congregation who worked on its construction. Lapham also designed ‘arguably the most famous Palm Springs nightclub “Chi Chi’” adds Kunkle.
Another impressive structure - this time constructed of poured concrete in thick curved sections, is the Palm Springs United Methodist church, designed by architect Hal Whittemore in 1965. Unique details include the cast metal cross at its spire designed by artist JB Thompson in 1965 and a plaque on the seat where Elvis Presley used to sit.
Other highlights include Albert Frey’s Desert Chapel, built in 1963, where the original phone system can be admired, as well as intricate geometric wood carvings and chandeliers; and a piercing red stained glass window by artist Gabriel Loire at the St Louis Catholic Cathedral City – designed by architect Joseph F Dameron in the 1960s.
The First Baptist Church, designed by architect Howard Lapham in 1963 (left) and the concrete belltower of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church (architect unknown, built 1963) (right). Photography: Michael Kunkle
The United Methodist church, designed by architect Hal Whittemore in 1965. Photography: Michael Kunkle
Two details of the St Louis Catholic Cathedral City, designed by architect Joseph F. Dameron in the 1960s, with stained glass by artist Gabriel Loire
The Saint Theresa Catholic Church, designed by architect William Cody in 1968
Patterned details at the Desert Chapel designed by architect Albert Frey in 1963. Photography: Michael Kunkle
INFORMATION
The ‘Sacred Places’ tour runs on February 24, 2018. For event details visit the Modernism Week website.
-
How ethical is Google Street View, asks Jon Rafman in CopenhagenIn 'Report a Concern - the Nine Eyes Archives' at Louisiana Museum of Art, Copenhagen, Jon Rafman considers technology's existential implications
-
Next-generation jeweller Rosalie Carlier is one to watchThe young jewellery designer creates sensuous but bold pieces intended to ‘evoke emotion in the wearer’
-
Inside a creative couple's magical, circular Indian home, 'like a fruit'We paid a visit to architect Sandeep Virmani and social activist Sushma Iyengar at their circular home in Bhuj, India; architect, writer and photographer Nipun Prabhakar tells the story
-
The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthFrom wineries-turned-music studios to fire-resistant holiday homes, these are the properties that have most impressed the Wallpaper* editors this month
-
This modernist home, designed by a disciple of Le Corbusier, is on the marketAndré Wogenscky was a long-time collaborator and chief assistant of Le Corbusier; he built this home, a case study for post-war modernism, in 1957
-
Louis Kahn, the modernist architect and the man behind the mythWe chart the life and work of Louis Kahn, one of the 20th century’s most prominent modernists and a revered professional; yet his personal life meant he was also an architectural enigma
-
The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthFrom Malibu beach pads to cosy cabins blanketed in snow, Wallpaper* has featured some incredible homes this month. We profile our favourites below
-
Three lesser-known Danish modernist houses track the country’s 20th-century architectureWe visit three Danish modernist houses with writer, curator and architecture historian Adam Štěch, a delve into lower-profile examples of the country’s rich 20th-century legacy
-
The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthThis September, Wallpaper highlighted a striking mix of architecture – from iconic modernist homes newly up for sale to the dramatic transformation of a crumbling Scottish cottage. These are the projects that caught our eye
-
Richard Neutra's Case Study House #20, an icon of Californian modernism, is for salePerched high up in the Pacific Palisades, a 1948 house designed by Richard Neutra for Dr Bailey is back on the market
-
This tiny church in Denmark is a fresh take on sacred spaceTiny Church Tolvkanten by Julius Nielsen and Dinesen unifies tradition with modernity in its raw and simple design, demonstrating how the church can remain relevant today
