5 Groundbreaking Architects Who Shaped Palm Springs

Designing The Desert

Palm Springs, California, is famous for its large number of mid-century modern private homes and public buildings that have come to symbolize the city. An eclectic and dynamic group of architects – true visionaries – played key roles in creating the aesthetic that defines Palm Springs. An overview of a few of them starts to paint a clear picture of how the desert town became not only an oasis of relaxation and pleasure but also a design mecca for lovers of mid-century modern.

William F. Cody

William F. Cody graduated from the University of Southern California in 1942 and made Palm Springs his home in 1946. He was responsible for hundreds of projects, including banks, gas stations, churches, and homes. As an active member of the community, he was largely responsible for the crucial “open spaces” principle that characterizes the city.

As a member of the Palm Springs Planning Commission, Cody worked tirelessly to preserve the open spaces that make the city unique. He believed that controlling the interplay of light and shadow was key to establishing the look of not only the downtown area but also the residential developments that surround it. Thanks to his influence, building heights were limited to 100 feet.

His work is not characterized by any one style or look that is distinctly recognizable as his own. In fact, he conscientiously avoided creating “a look” – believing that true creativity was expressed through variety, a variety evident in the unique homes he designed. The only unifying factor may be that his designs maintained fundamental basics around scale, proportion, light, materials, and space.

William Krisel

One of Palm Springs’ most influential architects was William Krisel because of his astounding work in designing large-scale tract developments throughout the region. He believed wholeheartedly that modern architecture was about people, and his down-to-earth approach was developed out of respect for economy, constructability, and scalability.

Altogether, his designs were used to build more than 40,000 units, with almost 1,500 of them in Palm Springs alone. His influence in making mid-century design widely accessible was such that his New York Times obituary read, “William Krisel designed captivating but economical tract housing that enabled real estate developers in the Sun Belt to market modern architecture to the masses.”

Establishing his reputation as a designer for “the people” did not impede his work for Palm Springs’ elite. His work for the Alexander Construction Company impressed the Alexander family so much that they commissioned him to design their own home, which quickly became known as the House of Tomorrow.

The experimental design is comprised of octagonal pods, each containing a different room. Elvis and Priscilla Presley honeymooned there, and the resulting publicity helped make mid-century modern design popular far beyond the deserts of Southern California.

Richard Neutra

Richard Neutra is one of the pioneers of mid-century modern design, starting his career and developing his signature aesthetic in the early 1930s. He studied with the veritable godfather of mid-century design, Frank Lloyd Wright, at his famous studio, Taliesin West, in Arizona. From there, he established his own indomitable presence on the West Coast, designing steel-framed buildings with sprayed-on concrete. The streamlined, seemingly weightless structures are light-filled, flowing expanses that invite socializing through open floor plans that include spacious entertaining spaces and elongated swimming pools.

His design for the winter vacation home of the department store family, the Kaufmanns, stands as his masterpiece. The house embraces—and is embraced by—the desert itself with its sliding glazed glass doors that seamlessly partition indoor and outdoor spaces, then open them up again as weather permits and the family’s entertainment needs demand. Wings expand from the house for sleeping and swimming and the home’s multiple entrances offer cool, light, and airy spaces anchored by stone which marries the house to nature and the distinctive geography of the desert.

Donald Wexler

Like Krisel, Donald Wexler specialized in creating housing that was low-cost, easily replicable, and especially suited to the desert climate. His firm created a prototype for a 35-home subdivision using modular steel frame construction, which was less expensive than wood and more easily withstood the harsh weather in the desert.

The homes were 1,400 square feet but could be expanded to include up to four bedrooms. They included three steel roof options, including a “butterfly” roof. The style of design facilitated rapid construction, with a total build time for an entire house, including glazing and doors, of 30 days. To speed up the process even further, prefabricated units that included kitchens and bathrooms were built elsewhere, transported, and lowered by crane onto the sites.

Only seven homes in the master plan were completed as the price of steel had skyrocketed. Those seven homes fell into disrepair until they were renovated in the 1990s. Today, many of their features are synonymous with the desert modernism that sets the architecture of Palm Springs apart from other mid-century modern design movements.

Paul Revere Williams

Paul Revere Williams is a remarkable figure in architecture and American cultural history. He was one of the few successful African American architects working in the 1940s through 70s. He was known for his ability to draw upside down, an admirable talent. Unfortunately, he developed the skill because white clients, while eager to hire him, often did not want to sit next to him.

He started designing very traditional housing for Hollywood celebrities, including a large colonial for Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Other clients included Cary Grant, Barbara Stanwyck, and Frank Sinatra. His style quickly evolved to Hollywood Regency, and he designed another home for Ball and Arnez in Rancho Mirage, just outside Palm Springs, where his style evolved further, becoming fully mid-century modern as we know it.

His work in the desert utilized graceful curves and a mixture of stone and wood construction. Interiors were designed to minimize visual barriers to swimming pools, entertaining spaces, and the surrounding landscape, including the mountains. The 1950s in the desert were something of a heyday for Williams, who also designed Sinatra’s desert getaway in Trousdale Estates. The 4,400-square-foot ranch home honors the surrounding environment and, at the same time, the privacy of its famous resident.

Pioneers of an Enduring Style

The mid-century modern masterpieces of Palm Springs owe their distinct character to the visionary architects who embraced the desert’s unique landscape and climate. Cody, Krisel, Neutra, Wexler, and Williams were only a few who contributed their unique design sensibilities and philosophies to create a universally appealing design approach that continues to attract enthusiasts from around the world. Their work not only defined an era but also ensured that Palm Springs remains a sanctuary of elegance and innovation in modern architecture. Today, their legacy endures, inspiring new generations of architects and design aficionados to appreciate and preserve the timeless beauty of mid-century modernism.

Your Own Mid-Century Modern Dream Home Awaits!

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