The Palm Springs school : desert modernism 1934-1975. / txt
Alan Hess ; with essays by Christine Madrid French, Eddie Jones, Ken Lyon, George E. Thomas, Sian Winship.
- 256 p. : ill. ; photographs ; col. ; 26cm. book
"Palm Springs is at the center of a unique tradition in architecture marked by invention and a sensitivity to local conditions that has resulted in design that exerts an influence far greater than the town's small size. The book is the first to fully explore the wide ranging forms this architecture has taken, from houses to gas stations, hotels to airports, banks to restaurants and spas."--Provided by publisher "In association with Palm Springs Architectural Alliance"--Colophon
Departments: Foreword by Palm Springs Architectural Alliance 10 -- Preface and Acknowledgements 12 -- Prologue: The Oasis Hotel 16 -- Introduction: The Palm Springs School 24 -- Modern Palm Springs 38 -- 47 From Health Spa to Global Resort: Palm Springs 1.0 to Palm Springs 4.0 by George E. Thomas -- 75 From Reservation to Real Estate Empire by Sian Winship -- Principles of the Palm Springs School 85 -- The Desert as Muse: Four Careers 161 -- Palm Springs Overlooked 203 -- 211 Coastal Modernism: The Sarasota School’s Architectural Revolution by Christine Madrid French -- 223 Regarding Southwestern Schools of Architectural Thought by Eddie Jones -- 236 The Palm Springs School and Historic Preservation by ken Lyon -- Lessons for Today 242 -- Appendix: List of Architects 246 -- Bibliography 250 -- Image Credits 251 -- Author Biographies 252 -- Index 253 --
"Much more than a resort destination, Palm Springs has served as a laboratory of the Modern; here so much architectural innovation and design took form. From the steel-and-glass boxes of Richard Neutra to the earthy organic homes of John Lautner, and everything in between, the solutions of architects and designers--including notably William F. Cody, E. Stewart Williams, and Albert Frey--were diverse and are ever more relevant in the face of contemporary challenges. Their answers addressed questions that still hold 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 reflect a region's culture, economy, and distinctive atmosphere? Architects here responded to nature's climatological demands, and Palm Springs became a center for innovations that were rooted in practice more than theory. Benefitting from the architectural freedoms offered by the remoteness of the California desert, designers explored new approaches that we can now identify as central to the Palm Springs School, shown here in rich archival and contemporary photography."--Provided by publisher
9780847842551 084784255X
Architecture, Modern--History--20th century Architecture Domestic--California Palm Springs Architects--Biography--United States--20th century Interior decoration--20th century Modern movement Architecture--California Palm Springs