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xplore now the Palm Springs Modernism Week, which runs from 15–25 February 2018. Discover modern architecture, interiors, culture, parties, free events, films and plenty of opportunities.
Get more info and modernism week schedule here: http://www.modernismweek.com
Donald Wexler, An Architectural Legacy
Innovative, economical, and poised, the architecture of Donald Wexler, FAIA, designed and built over his more than six-decade career, remains a hallmark of Palm Springs’ landmark status as a national and world center of Modern Architecture’s best work. Wexler’s work shows a keen sense of proportion and sensitivity to its sites and climate, and his designs celebrate the essential roles of structure, light, and space.
The history of the home dates back to 1960, when famed Glendale-based architect Clair Earl designed 3 neighboring houses on LaVerne Way in Palm Springs near the Alexanders’ Twin Palms development. These houses are magnificent examples of MCM architecture, each with their own characteristic look. Sadly, this house sat in severe disrepair and neglect over the past decade. Nicknamed Maison a l’Orange for the current owner’s love of the color orange, the house was recently finished with a complete renovation and will be unveiled for the first time during Modernism Week 2018.
Golden Era Hollywood Homes in Old Las Palmas
Walk among the stars in this prestigious and historic neighborhood. Old Las Palmas began its development in the late 1920s and 1930s and has one of the highest concentrations of celebrity homes anywhere. Elizabeth Taylor, Kirk Douglas, Katherine Hepburn, Gene Autry, Lena Horne, Cary Grant, Judy Garland, Dinah Shore and many other Hollywood stars have been residents here.
This must see neighborhood truly nurtured Palm Springs’ reputation as The Playground of the Stars. Today Leonardo DeCaprio boasts a celebrated Modernist home in this exclusive neighborhood. Spanish Colonial architecture with its signature red tile roofs abounds, but examples of dramatic and significant midcentury architecture are sprinkled in the area. You will hear surprising tales of the stars who lived and martini-ed here.
Frank Sinatra’s Neighborhood: The Movie Colony