Modernism

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 / 9 days ago

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 weeks ago

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...

Lifestyle / 28 Nov 2018

New French fragrance maison Ormaie references modernist design greats

‘When we are developing a perfume, I can just tell Maman: this smells too much of grandma’s soap in the kitchen, and she will know exactly what smell I am referring to. It also helps that my grandma has been...

Victor Pasmore’s 1969 Apollo Pavilion photographed by Simon Phipps

Art / 20 Nov 2018

The postwar public art that became a symbol of the British modernist dream

It’s not hard to determine where fine art photographer Simon Phipps’ expertise lies. With previous publications entitled Brutal London, Finding Brutalism and even a Brutalist London map under his belt, one could say his subject is somewhat cast in concrete. For his...

Architecture / 14 Nov 2018

Le Corbusier’s apartment in Paris opens to public after reconstruction

Le Corbusier’s apartment in Paris, where he lived from 1934 to 1965, has opened to the public following an extensive reconstruction. It was led by the Le Corbusier Foundation that now allows people to experience his private studio, personal objects, bespoke design...

Architecture / 7 Nov 2018

André Lurçat-designed school in France scoops 2018 WMF/Knoll Modernism Prize

The striking modernist Karl Marx Middle School by architect André Lurçat in France has just been announced as winner of the 2018 World Monuments Fund/Knoll Modernism Prize. The building, which was originally inaugurated in 1933 and once described as ‘the...

Architecture / 19 Oct 2018

Eileen Gray’s E-1027 launches crowdfunding campaign for restoration of original interiors

A crowd-funding campaign has been launched to raise money for important restorations to Eileen Gray’s modernist villa E-1027 in the south of France. The house, which reopened in 2015 after crucial structural restoration saved it from falling into complete disrepair...

Architecture / 9 Oct 2018

The first book on the philosophy and work of Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy

This first dedicated and cohesive book on Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy (1900-89) compiles an rich amount of diverse material on the modernist architect known for his work developing traditional Arab architecture alongside principles of modernism. The substantial volume combines previously...