June 28, 2015/Mid-Century Modern /by Mid-Century Mike

The Architect of Palm Springs: Donald Wexler, 1926-2015

So sad to hear of the passing of Donald Wexler, who put his stunning architectural imprint all over Palm Springs. He was a classy and modest gentleman who created enduring architecture. It was so cool that he was on the tour I did of Palm Springs a few years back during Modernism Week. I was honored to have met him. Below is a post from several years ago.

This is last in the trilogy of posts on my trip to Palm Springs. (You can read the first two posts here and here. I am devoting this post solely to the work of Donald Wexler, FAIA, who my wife and I had the pleasure of meeting when we were in Palm Springs during Modernism Week.

Mr. Wexler, who is 85, is quite simply put, a rock star without the attitude. His work was feted throughout Modernism Week with the exhibit Steel and Shade: The Architecture of Don Wexler at the Palm Spring Art Museum and the showing of the file, Journeyman Architect: The Life and Work of Donald Wexler (Speaking of the movie, Modern Richmond is holding a showing of the film at the Virginia Architecture Center on Wednesday at 7 p.m.)

Touring around Palm Springs with Mr. Wexler and his family was an honor.

He attended many of the other Modernism Week events, spoke on a panel and even took one of three-hour architecture tours of the city that he helped build and define. (Luckily, I picked the tour he was on.)

Wexler, who grew up in Minnesota, served in the Navy during World War II. Once his service was complete, he studied architecture at the University of Minnesota after taking an aptitude test saying he would be good at it; he was thinking of career in engineering. The test was right. After he graduated, he left Minnesota at 24 and snagged an apprenticeship with none other than Richard Neutra. He then worked for Palms Springs master William Cody before launching his own firm with Ric Harrison, who met in Cody’s office. They worked together from 1952 until 1961, when they amicably parted ways to start their own firms. After focusing on residential projects earlier in his career (think innovative Steel Houses), Wexler turned to more commercial and government projects, including schools and the beautiful and soaring Palm Springs International Airport.

“Wexler brings another dimension to his work: an understated but assured sense of aesthetics,” Michael Stern and Alan Hess write in Julius Shulman: Palm Springs. “His buildings have a humane sense of space, a refined sense of proportion, a sureness about details that reflect the hand of an excellent architect. His buildings do not share the expressionist energy of Lautner’s Elrod House, but he also has a sense of drama in a flaring, zigzagging roofline of a house, or the swept back lines of an airport roof.”

Enough with the words. See for yourself.

Professional Park. Wexler designed the sleek offices in 1964. His own office is pictured above.

Some cool architecture was created behind that door.

This office park was actually designed to feel like you are in a park.

Entry to the former Spa Bath House by Cody, Wexler and Harrison. The colonnade was recently demolished.

Royal Hawaiin Estates by Harrison and Wexler, 1960.

Custom house by Wexler on Lilliana Drive.

Here’s another custom home on Tamarisk Road.

The Dinah Shore House. Sold for nearly $5 million earlier this year.

Here are some shots of the seven Steel Houses (1962). The homes were designed by Wexler and Harrison and built by George Alexander.

Welmas Building

Merrill Lynch Building, 1971

Palm Springs International Airport, 1966.

June 19, 2015/Hollin Hills Virginia /by Mid-Century Mike

Roberta Flack Lived in this Hollin Hills Goodman

One of only five custom homes in Hollin Hills designed by Charles Goodman, this newly listed property used to be the home of legendary singer Roberta Flack. (Check out this other Roberta Flack-related news.) The 4 bedroom/3 bath 2,500 square feet home has a stunning two-level living room overlooking the pool, slate and stone patio, koi pond and private half acre lot. The house is listed at $869K and open this Sunday from 1 to 4 pm.

June 16, 2015/Mid-Century Modern /by Mid-Century Mike

Documenting the MCM Architecture of Wildwood, N.J.

If you don’t follow architectural photographer Darren Bradley, you should. His photos of mid-century modern and modern architecture are just stunning. As someone who grew up in New Jersey and still goes up to the Jersey shore every summer, I had to link to Darren’s amazing photos and monumental post about the mid-century architecture in Wildwood, N.J. (I took the shot above of the Panoramic years ago.)

Less than 200 miles from Washington, the Wildwoods (Wildwood, North Wildwood, Wildwood Crest) at the Jersey shore have the country’s largest concentration of mid-century commercial architecture from the 1950s and ’60s. The architecture of the motels, diners, restaurants and vintage neon signs reflect the era’s fascination with the automobile, air and space travel and all things Tiki/Polynesian. The architectural style in Wildwood was dubbed Googie. Many of the Doo Wop motels in Wildwood were built by Will and Lou Morey.

With more than 100 Doo Wop buildings having been destroyed amid the boom in real estate, the National Trust for Historic preservation named the Doo Wop motels to its “Most Endangered” list in 2006.

If you plan to go this summer, check out the Doo Wop Preservation League for great information and a map to the area. Also check out this site and this one.

June 9, 2015/Southwest /by Mid-Century Mike

Bike Tour of Modernist Southwest – June 11

If you want to do some cycling and take in some architecture after work this week, join the National Building Museum’s bike tour of Southwest DC. The tour will take place this Thursday (June 11) from 5:30 pm-7 pm. The tour will take in the area’s mid-century modern architecture, the Wharf development on the waterfront, historic rowhouses and new mixed-use development.

More than 50 years ago, Southwest underwent a massive transformation, representing at the time the largest urban renewal project in U.S. history. The effort to create a “modernist Utopia” in the nation’s capital was led by the likes of Chloethiel Woodard Smith, Charles Goodman, I.M. Pei, Morris Lapidus, Keyes, Lethbridge and Condon, Marcel Breuer, Edward Durell Stone and Harry Weese. This mid-century modern redevelopment effort was even highlighted in a exhibition at the 1958 World’s Fair in Brussels.

So hop on your bike and check the modernist architecture of southwest and the new development taking place along the water.

June 8, 2015/Mid-Century Modern /by Mid-Century Mike

5 Iconic Modern Houses to Tour

It’s Monday. School is almost out. Summer is almost officially here. Planning for summer vacation? The Wall Street Journal suggests visiting five early modernist and mid-century modern homes to inspire your own modern spaces. Not a bad idea. Two of those on the list: Phillip Johnson’s Glass House (above) in Connecticut and Pierre Koenig’s Stahl House (below) in Los Angeles. The others are in Brazil, Finland and France. Enjoy if you go to any of these on the list.

June 2, 2015/Deck House /by Mid-Century Mike

Deck Houses in West Virginia, Reston

Here are a few Deck Houses to help you enjoy the summer weather. This 1978 version in the Canaan Valley in West Virginia. The owners are currently looking for interested buyers. The three bedroom/two bath home is located on nearly six acres in Old Timberline, a unique gated community of 456 single family properties encircling a wildlife and wetlands conservancy. It is a private residential area and designated wildlife sanctuary. Two canoeing lakes and four groomed trails are at the center of this 3,300 acre community of mostly two to five-plus acre home sites. The community is surrounded by preservation lands. For additional information, you can view the owners’ site here or contact them via e-mail at dr39cvwva@yahoo.com.

Soaring wood ceilings and large stone fireplace in the living room.

Here are two located in Reston that back up to the lakes in the area. This 1978 house that backs to Lake Thoreau is listed for $1.25 million while this one built in 1988 on Lake Newport is listed for $1.545 million.

Deck House, Inc. was founded in 1959 by William Berkes, a pioneer in post and beam building systems. The Deck House typically featured post and beam construction with exposed Douglas fir beams and tongue-and-groove vaulted ceilings.

Month: June 2015