Modernism

Sigmar interior design London town house

Design / 2 Mar 2019

Interiors firm Sigmar creates a Scandinavian modernist haven in London

When a Swedish hedge fund manager with a passion for Scandinavian modernism wanted to do up his ‘Euro chintz’ townhouse in London’s Knightsbridge, he went straight to Sigmar, an interior design outfit based in Chelsea. Run by Swedish/Danish duo Ebba...

Architecture / 23 Feb 2019

The architects who built Palm Springs: John Lautner

Without the futuristic, concrete creations of celebrated American architect John Lautner (1911-1994), you wonder what Hollywood film directors would do for fictional lairs for the rich, powerful... and occasionally, evil. His gravity-defying residential projects have probably appeared in more movies...

Architecture / 21 Feb 2019

The architects who built Palm Springs: Richard Neutra

Richard Neutra’s (1892–1970) architecture is eternally preserved at its peak midcentury moment in Julius Shulman’s photographs – filled with party-goers on warm all-year-long summer evenings. The slim-line, seemingly weightless structure of Neutra’s Kaufmann house in Palm Springs was the perfect...

Architecture / 18 Feb 2019

Inside Europe’s modernist estates and their distinct cultures

Modernist Estates Europe builds a humanist portrait of life at 15 residential housing estates across the continent. Author Stefi Orazi, a graphic designer by trade, compiles short architectural histories of the estates alongside photography and intereviews with residents. The project began when Orazi was...

Architecture / 6 Feb 2019

Palm Springs Modernism Week according to photographers Tom Blachford and Kate Ballis

Photographers Tom Blachford and Kate Ballis are both enthralled by Palm Springs and midcentury modern architecture. Their popular photographic series focussing on the desert town include Midnight Modern (Blachford), and Infra Realism (Ballis). The pair first travelled to Palm Springs together...

Architecture / 25 Jan 2019

The architects who built Palm Springs: E. Stewart Williams

It’s hard to imagine snow in Palm Springs, but at the Aerial Tramway Mountain Station 2,600m above the town in the San Jacinto Mountains, it’s possible and fairly regular. A refuge for hikers and wildlife lovers, the station designed by...

Architecture / 14 Jan 2019

Midcentury modernist enclaves on the East Coast uncovered in smart travel guide

For the residents of Palm Springs – and those who flock to the desert enclave for the annual Modernism Week – midcentury desert modernism is more than an architectural style, it’s a lifestyle choice. No other architectural sub-style has managed...

Architecture / 7 Jan 2019

Frank Sinatra’s Palm Springs retreat is renovated with nostalgic 1960s interiors

Search for the phrase ‘party at Frank Sinatra’s house’ on YouTube and you’ll be treated to footage of Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan shaking their tail feathers in one of Palm Springs’ most fabled homes. The occasion for Paris and Lindsay’s...

Design / 2 Jan 2019

Born again: modernist design icons are given a new lease of life

While the hunger for new contemporary design continues, there is still something alluring about revisiting those lesser known chapters of 20th century design to uncover the stories of classic products and their creators. Furniture companies and gallerists continue to mine...

Architecture / 27 Dec 2018

Arthur Mudry’s midcentury modern house in West Vancouver is a paean to the Pacific forest

As a teenager in 1940s Calgary, Arthur Mudry dreamed of being an aeroplane engineer. But a chance discovery of a book on gothic cathedrals caught his imagination, and changed his career trajectory to architecture. Perhaps this is why his work...

Architecture / 5 Dec 2018

How Donald Wexler and William Krisel turned Palm Springs into a Hollywood retreat

Pat Rizzo and his Orchestra up the tempo and the dance floor swells with men in retro casuals and women with red lipstick and Mad Men hairdos. It’s the annual gala benefit at the Canyon Country Club, the big ticket...

Architecture / 4 Dec 2018

Habitat ’67 duplex unit renovated to original conditions by Safdie Architects in Montréal

Atop Habitat ’67 in Montréal, on the 10th floor, a private duplex has been renovated by Safdie Architects with the intent of donating to the public as a scholarly resource and architectural tourist attraction. Considered one of the most important pieces...