The edge of the Sonoran Desert in Southern California is in the throes of Palm Springs Modernism Week 2022. The beloved architecture festival is now back for its newest edition, running 17 – 27 February 2022 in various locations in the design-savvy town. Arid Californian landscapes, dreamy modernist architecture, art, product design, the golden era of Hollywood and poolside glamour all play a role in this fabulous feast of all things midcentury. There are some 350 events on offer, including the returning Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale, plenty of tours of iconic homes, as well as neighbourhood tours and more. What better place to escape to?
Top picks at Palm Springs Modernism Week 2022
Forgotten Frey: Albert Frey’s Cree House
Cree House in Cathedral City is up for sale
Cree House is one of the lesser-known works by acclaimed California architect Albert Frey. The man behind Palm Springs classics, such as Frey House II, Loewy House and the Tramway Gas Station with its famous ‘flying’ canopy, created this hidden gem around 1955. Having worked with Le Corbusier and influenced by modernist teachings from Europe, Frey worked on this private residence in Cathedral City; left neglected for years and fell into disrepair before it got restored to its former glory for Palm Springs Modernism Week 2019. Elements such as the exterior and interior wall panels, the fluted fibreglass deck pieces, kitchen appliances and cabinets have been preserved and remain part of this Desert Modernist house.
Premier Double Decker Architectural Bus Tour
One of Palm Springs’ most famous homes, the Kaufmann House by Richard Neutra.
Granted, this is not a new event on the agenda; but it is possibly the best, biggest and most loved architecture tour in Palm Springs Modernism Week’s history. Hop on an open-top bus to experience the city’s architecture under the sunny skies and from a unique vantage point, atop a double decker bus. The tour goes through the centre of Palm Springs and several key landmarks and historical neighbourhoods, offering a great overview of the area’s architecture and urban feel.
Twin Palms guided walking tour
Hugh Kaptur (b. 1931) is one of Palm Springs’ most prolific architects and part of a group of modernists who defined Desert Modernism. Pictured here is his house for Hollywood actor Steve McQueen.
If you prefer walking, take this tour for an insider’s look into one of Palm Springs’ most coveted and older neighbourhoods for midcentury architecture. Peek into homes and stroll around blocks to admire the works of Hugh Kaptur, William Krisel, Donald Wexler, and more, accompanied by juicy information from the tour’s knowledgeable guides.
Julius Shulman’s Modern San Diego
One of the photographer's subjects, Chuey House.
Acclaimed architectural photographer Julius Shulman produced over 200 projects, documenting some of the USA's most exciting modernist architecture along the way. San Diego was one of his focused projects and here, curator Keith York discussed the creative's extensive body of work and lasting influence across the decades.
INFORMATION
modernismweek.com
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Jaguar reveals its new graphic identity ahead of a long-awaited total brand rebootJaguar’s new ethos is Exuberant Modernism, encapsulated by a new visual language that draws on fine art, fashion and architecture
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Olfactory Art Keller: the New York gallery exhibiting the smell of vintage perfume, blossoming lilacs and last night’s shameOlfactory Art Keller is a Manhattan-based gallery space dedicated to exhibiting scent as art. Founder Dr Andreas Keller speaks with Lara Johnson-Wheeler about the project, which doesn’t shy away from the ‘unpleasant’
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Explore a barn conversion with a difference on the Isle of WightGianni Botsford Architects' barn conversion transforms two old farm buildings into an atmospheric residence and artistic retreat, The Old Byre
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Soviet brutalist architecture: beyond the genre's striking imageSoviet brutalist architecture offers eye-catching imagery; we delve into the genre’s daring concepts and look beyond its buildings’ photogenic richness
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Tour a warm and welcoming modernist sanctuary set on the edge of a Los Angeles canyonThe Rustic Canyon Residence by Assembledge and Jamie Bush brings together the very best of mid-century influences, with an added slice of contemporary Californian craft and style
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This New York brownstone was transformed through the power of a single, clever moveVoid House, a New York brownstone reimagined by architecture studio Light and Air, is an interior transformed through the power of one smart move
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A new Texas house transforms a sloping plot into a multi-layered family homeThe Griggs Residence is a Texas house that shields its interior world and spacious terraces with a stone and steel façade
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Light, nature and modernist architecture: welcome to the reimagined Longwood GardensLongwood Gardens and its modernist Roberto Burle Marx-designed greenhouse get a makeover by Weiss/Manfredi and Reed Hildebrand in the US
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A bridge in Buffalo heralds a new era for the city's LaSalle ParkA new Buffalo bridge offers pedestrian access over busy traffic for the local community, courtesy of schlaich bergermann partner
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Tour this Bel Vista house by Albert Frey, restored to its former glory in Palm SpringsAn Albert Frey Bel Vista house has been restored and praised for its revival - just in time for the 2025 Palm Springs Modernism Week Preview
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First look: step inside 144 Vanderbilt, Tankhouse and SO-IL’s new Brooklyn projectThe first finished duplex inside Tankhouse and SO-IL’s 144 Vanderbilt in Fort Greene is a hyper-local design gallery curated by Brooklyn studio General Assembly
