A Palm Springs Diary

Uppers very own answer to Julius Shulman, Scott Duncan, took his camera on a trip out to Palm Springs - find out what developed.

Palm Springs is relatively young compared to the age of many cities. Without the burden of history, it flourished as a mecca for modern architecture during the middle of the twentieth century.

Following World War II, many Americans had been exposed to modern European design and culture and were ready to begin their own contribution to the world of architecture.

Wealthy Southern Californians saw Palm Springs as a perfect location for building winter resorts and vacation homes that reflected the new International style. Today it remains a showcase for several decades of top quality modern architecture.

I have lived within an hour’s drive of Palm Springs for a year and a half now and despite my best intentions, I haven’t been able to go until now. I thought it would be best to make use of my time while I was there and get photos of the best modernist architecture I could during the day. So finally in conjunction with a family camping trip in Joshua Tree National Park and thrift store shopping, I managed to work in the bulk of the photos in one day.

The trip actually starts with the planning. In order to know where to go and what architecture was available I tracked down the Palm Springs Modern Committee website and learned that they had already done the footwork for me. They have a database/map that plots all of the most well known modernist architecture in Palm Springs. It can be purchased in town at the Visitor’s Center for $5 or comes with a $25 membership to the committee. So armed with this map and some film I began.

Starting on the North end of town where the 111 Highway becomes Palm Canyon Drive and crosses San Rafael, we started at the Tramway Gas Station. Obviously, it has been some time since this was used as a gas station as the wall around the premises makes it less than useful for that purpose. I believe that most recently it was converted into an art gallery but it now stands vacant awaiting the next fortunate owner. This seemed to be a theme of the buildings I saw — a number of them are currently vacant. I must admit that despite the fact that the perimeter wall is not part of the original design, it was done in good taste and my wife and I both admired its appearance. The building itself includes an elegantly curved and dynamic roof with an entirely glass and steel façade. Its location directly below the foothills gives it some grandeur as well. And it dictated the next stop on our trip.

Next, we headed up the steepest hills that our car is capable of climbing and headed into the mouth of a green canyon with a stream (or what in the desert here is probably called a river) that flowed out of its mouth. Here we intended to get photos of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. There are actually two stations. One, I assume, for heading up and one for returning. We only made it to the first since we didn’t actually take the tram and it is not designed for casual observers. The structure is reminiscent of an airport with efficient lines and comfortable, if minimalist, waiting area. The building is built spanning the stream and has the characteristic horizontal proportions that were favored in the sixties. The tramway itself also seems attractive, no doubt due to its pragmatic design.

From the tramway, we headed down out of the canyon to a development that included about six steel frame residences that are at the entrance of an otherwise very nondescript housing development. I took photos of several of the residences but many were obscured by landscaping and wouldn’t have been portrayed well in a photograph. The houses I did shoot are also markedly cooler than the photos appear since I was able to focus only on some of the details rather than the entire structures. These are the type of houses where you would expect the hip crowd to live. However, reality didn’t seem to play this out. The cars parked in front seemed nondescript, the yards weren’t landscaped particularly well and there was no indication that the interiors live up to the exteriors. The details that were mentionable include the butterfly roofs and floor-to-ceiling glass walls. But at this point, the day was young and these were just a taste of things to come.

I was anticipating the next house because it was designed by my favorite architect - Richard Neutra. And the house does live up to its reputation. It is called the Miller House and though it is not a huge house, it is good sized and placed on an ample lot with citrus trees and some neglected space. The house itself is fenced in with a temporary chain link fence and there is some indication that the house is for sale. However, the sign in the window only indicates an ominous “No Trespassing”. The frame is steel and concrete with some cantilevered roof sections.

The walls are glass on the majority of the house and though this would reduce some of the privacy, the light feeling of the building can be felt from a distance. And the privacy issue is nothing a few curtains couldn’t cure. From the picture, you may wonder why no one has snatched this up, but what has been cropped from view are two somewhat seedy apartment complexes flanking the large lot. This beautiful house is cursed with its location. I can’t imagine what the city council was thinking when they approved these two cheap and tacky structures on either side. This is unfortunate and left a bittersweet taste in my mouth as we headed to the next building.

After a drive-by of the Shell Gas station (number 5 on the list) and finding nothing photo worthy, we headed into a much nicer neighborhood for some better maintained residences. The Palevsky House is located at the edge of the foothills at the west side of town. This late sixties structure hinted toward better landscaping and more upscale interiors. Most of the houses we saw in this area appeared to be vacant for the summer, which is typical of Palm Springs. This home used more natural materials, stone and what appears to be wood siding, than the others we had already seen. It certainly hints at Frank Lloyd Wright’s location appropriate architecture. It also took advantage of a multi-leveled building site to create a scale and size that is indeed impressive. But most notable on this house is the gently curving streamlined roof perched atop a bank of windows that wrap around the structure.

The next house, I believe, is the Edris House. I say “believe” because the address was a little vague and in our rattletrap car I felt that if we started asking around we might be asked to leave this fine neighborhood. This house was a low profile home built at the top of a hill of boulders and landscaped with natural looking desert plants. The landscape did add some drama. The house itself has a flat roof that is cut through with a chimney made of stone that seems to be the sole support for the ceiling as it is set between walls of glass. These walls were covered entirely in curtains that create privacy for what would otherwise be an open building.

Next, we headed down the hills to what was the greatest structure we photographed that day or I had ever seen in my entire life. The coveted Kauffman House, built by Richard Neutra in 1946, is still ahead of its time today. The building is steel, concrete and stone and is a perfect example of consideration of every architectural element. The entrance introduces you to a perfectly composed façade with interesting levels that never meet in expected locations but rather in ways that add interest and appeal. There is an array of colors and textures and materials, yet nothing looks out of place. The white concrete walls are set off by dark shaded setbacks and are connected to other structures with steel. At the right of the structure, the wall consists of rough-hewn stone that lends textural interest. This building is one in which no aesthetic detail was neglected; it is truly a masterpiece of modern design. And the landscape articulates the design as well. The plants are all desert plants chosen for texture and interest and were complimentary to the building. The landscaping was meticulous without a single item out of place. Even the gate, mailbox and sign warning, “armed security on call” complemented the steel of the building and were completely consistent with the structure.

After the Miller House, this house makes one glad that the current owners have such taste and respect for the original design.

The final residence we checked out on this first leg of the trip was the Alexander House. Built in the early Sixties, this one could easily have held its own throughout the Seventies. The list included a notation in parenthesis for this house claiming it was the “Elvis Honeymoon House.” Maybe so, I am not a big Elvis fan so I was not star struck by this knowledge. The house itself was a little too much like deep pile shag and inflatable furniture for my taste (though I’m sure Austin Powers would be pleased) and though I know it would appeal to some, it was a little garish for my taste. The pastel salmon colored paint didn’t do much for me either.

From here we headed to commercial structures and will be continued in the next installment.

Comments:

Pete Morgan	sep 2 2006 10:48AM

excellent piece - thanks for sharing it

Toffeeman	aug 22 2004 12:55PM

What a suitably elegant, well written piece. Nice photography too.

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Uppers very own answer to Julius Shulman, Scott Duncan, took his camera on a trip out to Palm Springs - find out what developed.

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