History: Palm Springs preserving desert modernism
The Modernism Week Fall Preview is around the corner and the Palm Springs Historical Society will be hosting walking tours throughout some of the most celebrated neighborhoods where prime examples of Desert Modernism will be highlighted throughout this annual event. Keeping in the theme of the midcentury, tiki torches will be lit as thousands descend on the city hoping to get a glimpse of an era gone by.
Palm Springs is one of the spots in the country where the modernist architectural movement has been preserved. The movement began because early local architects realized that they needed to use building materials that could survive the harsh desert environment. As early as 1938, architects like Albert Frey and John Porter Clark designed buildings that were low-lying and flat-roofed with shaded overhangs and covered walkways.
After World War II, the population of Palm Springs tripled. Architecture was reaping the benefits of the postwar construction boom. Building technology that was being implemented in Los Angeles had a direct effect on the designs of architects and the construction industry in the desert just hours away. Desert Modernism, a distinctive branch of the Modern/International Movement used materials that were sustainable while embracing incredible views.
Local architects during the middle of that 20th century that followed John Porter Clark and Albert Frey were E. Stewart and Roger Williams, William Cody, Robson Chambers, Donald Wexler, Richard Harrison, William Krisel and Dan Palmer.
Both residential and commercial projects were flourishing, as local architects were able to add to their mid-century portfolios by designing larger buildings of commerce. Some of these projects were designed for those clients who expected and were able to pay for custom designs. Others were built as low-cost tract housing.
One of the most prolific of the Desert Modernists was E. Stewart Williams. According to Williams, “Buildings must be compatible with the land where they sit, compatible with the colors and materials and the shape and form of the site.”
One of his residential projects that made Desert Modernism so desirable was Frank Sinatra’s home in Palm Springs that was built in 1947. Those who were lucky enough to be invited to his house were able to see how blending the inside and the outside improved the functionality of the design for desert living. The demand for this type of type of residential architecture skyrocketed and E. Stewart Williams as part of the firm of Williams, Williams and Williams became one of the most sought after architectural firms of the era.
E. Stewart Williams also designed three banks on Palm Canyon Drive. The first bank building he designed was for Coachella Valley Saving and Loan and it was built on a very small lot. Williams raised the two-story building on six columns allowing the incorporation of the ever-important parking lot below. The building located at 383 South Palm Canyon has recently been purchased and the new owners are planning to restore it to its previous glory.
In 1960, Williams designed the Santa Fe Savings and Loan, which has been proclaimed as a Class I historic site. The building is elegant in its simplicity. There is a drive-up teller window on the east side of the building that was a novelty at the time it was built. Wrapped in glass, the building allows the building to be transparent. The huge vault was visible to the public, symbolizing the strength of the financial institution. After being purchased by the Palm Springs Art Museum in 2011, it has been restored and renamed the Edwards Harris Center for Architecture and Design.
Another bank designed by E. Stewart Williams that has the distinction of being classified as a Class I historical site is the Chase Bank located at 499 S. Palm Canyon Drive. Built in 1961, this iconic building was the second largest building that Williams designed. The building is symmetrical with a modern interpretation of classical Greco-Roman columns with high and low windows to bring in light. The fountains and water channel coupled with the raised floor slab create a floating effect.
Many of the local architects worked in partnership or collaborated over the years on multiple projects. The significant architects of the era make up a long list that will all be celebrated during the Modernism Week Fall Preview. Their designs stamped the modern form into the homes and estates they designed, the country clubs they created, hotels, banks, libraries, schools, churches, gas stations and retail spaces that make up the unique atmosphere of the city of Palm Springs. They fortified the vision of a leisure way of life and changed the village of Palm Springs into a city that today is known as a world-class destination for the appreciation of all things Mid-century Modern.
For more information on Modernism Week Fall Preview and our walking tours please visit modernismweek.com.
Renee Brown is director of education and associate curator for the Palm Springs Historical Society.