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.
-
Most people know Vipp for its pedal bin. The brand has just opened a guest house in FranceA 14th-century home is outfitted in Vipp’s signature Scandi style – and you can stay there
-
At this elegant new aparthotel in Florence, local living's done rightThis Time Tomorrow offers bespoke itineraries and neoclassical interiors that echo the city’s layered soul
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekIt’s been another week of Wallpaper* being first through the door – visiting, sampling and reporting back on the freshest in art, design, beauty and more. Highlights included a new rental development, skincare residency and Edinburgh hotel…
-
The Monthly Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s favourite July housesFrom geometric Japanese cottages to restored modernist masterpieces, these are the best residential projects to have crossed the architecture desk this month
-
A dramatic Brazilian house on a hillside was inspired by the creative passions of its clientTetro Arquitetura has completed a contemporary Brazilian house, combining a linear plan with a dramatic curved roof
-
Mies Van der Rohe architecture: modernist pomposity and proportional perfectionOur deep dive on Ludwig Mies van der Rohe revisits the modernist master's history and key works; scroll down to read about the influential 20th-century architect behind the well-known dictum, 'less is more'
-
A guide to modernism’s most influential architectsFrom Bauhaus and brutalism to California and midcentury, these are the architects who shaped modernist architecture in the 20th century
-
Mayumi Miyawaki’s Fukumura Cottage puts this lesser-known Japanese modernist in the spotlightDiscover the little-known modernist architect through this private home in Japan’s Tochigi prefecture countryside
-
Eileen Gray: A guide to the pioneering modernist’s life and workGray forever shaped the course of design and architecture. Here's everything to know about her inspiring career
-
Discover Canadian modernist Daniel Evan White’s pitch-perfect homesCanadian architect Daniel Evan White (1933-2012) had a gift for using the landscape to create extraordinary homes; revisit his story in an article from the Wallpaper* archives (first published in 2011)
-
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
