The Palm Springs School

(Hardback)

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From the minimalist steel-and-glass boxes of Richard Neutra to the earthy organic approach of John Lautner, and everything in between, the solutions of architects and designers including notably E. Stewart Williams, Albert Frey, and Donald Wexler, among many others were diverse and are ever more relevant in the face of contemporary challenges. Their answers addressed questions that hold still much urgency: How to design sustainably in harsh climates How to use technology efficiently and creatively to meet those challenges How to build affordable and high-quality mass-produced housing How to foster a diverse and inventive architecture that is both popular and excellent How to reflect a region s culture, economy, and distinctive atmosphere Committed modernists, designers here responded to nature s climatological demands and Palm Springs became a center for innovations that were rooted in practice more than theory. So successful were these architects that forty years after their heyday their designs sparked a vibrant preservation movement that continues to shape the community. Designers benefited from the architectural freedoms offered by the remoteness of the California desert, largely out of sight of the profession s critics, and explored new approaches that we can now identify as central to the Palm Springs School, shown here in rich archival and contemporary photography taken by greats of the time, such as Julius Shulman, and more recent masters, including Tim Street-Porter. In addition to its main text, the book offers essays by five noted professionals from across the United States highlighting the broader significance of the Palm Springs School. With original research and fresh analysis, this book is an important resource for students, scholars, and design professionals, as well as a visually engaging story for architectural enthusiasts.

Author Bio

Architect and historian Alan Hess is author of twenty-one books on Modern architecture and urbanism; his subjects include John Lautner, Oscar Niemeyer, the Ranch House, Las Vegas, and Palm Springs. Eddie Jones, a practicing Arizona architect, discusses the unique environment of the American Southwest and regional challenges shared with the Palm Springs School. Ken Lyon traces the evolution and national impact of the historic preservation of Modern Palm Springs from his perspective as a city planner in the desert city. Christine Madrid French, historian and Florida preservationist, compares the architecture of the famous Sarasota School with the newly identified Palm Springs School. George E. Thomas, Ph.D., writes on the role of American resort communities as a social and economic phenomenon crossing class lines and producing influential architectural innovations. Historian Sian Winship's original research uncovers the crucial role of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in the development of Palm Springs in the mid-twentieth century.