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			Each February, Palm Springs Modernism Week showcases mid-20th century architecture and design. Renowned as the “Mecca of Modernism,” the desert’s built environment lures aficionados from near and far. Many buildings are iconic, like the Palm Springs Visitors Center, with its dramatic, corrugated-metal roof soaring from the base of Tram Way. Other treasures are less conspicuous, but of no less importance. Examples include the 1955 Fire Station Number One on Indian Canyon Drive and Bank of America building on South Palm Canyon Drive. Some desert modern gems are tucked away on large or gated properties, while others grab our attention from the curb. Midcentury modern marvels appear well beyond the realm of architecture. Proud drivers and classic dealerships flaunt vintage automobiles throughout the valley. Even some of our favorite townspeople are living models of midcentury memories, such as our very own “Elvis” tooling around in his classic red Cadillac Eldorado convertible with de rigueur personalized license plates and a signature pair of fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view mirror. Examples of the desert’s midcentury anthology exist everywhere, from public and private buildings to shops and fashion. It’s found in the arts and in music streaming out of eateries, clubs and watering holes. So fire up the T-Bird (more likely the Prius), plug in the GPS, grab a friend, and head out for a self-guided treasure hunt of midcentury jewels. Start from either end of the city and work your way around. Here are a dozen sites to get you started on your retro adventure. 1. PALM SPRINGS VISITORS CENTER (HSPB*) 2901 N. Palm Canyon Dr. Originally a gasoline station, the Palm Springs Visitors Center greets tourists and locals at the northern entrance to the city. Designed by modernist Palm Springs architect Albert Frey with Robson Chambers, the distinctive structure served as a beacon broadcasting something special ahead — something different, optimistic, and exciting. No less monumental today, the site is world-acclaimed and serves as testament to an era of ground-breaking ideas and extraordinary accomplishment.* A Class One Historic Site designated by Palm Springs Historic Site Board. 2. WEXLER STEEL HOUSES (HSPB) E. Molino Rd. & N. Sunny View Dr. Designed by prolific Palm Springs architect Donald Wexler and built by the George Alexander Construction Co., this once-forgotten Palm Springs neighborhood features the now iconic Steel Development Houses. In the early 1960s, these seven one-of-a-kind homes offered new, all-steel building technology and the beginnings of a large subdivision, which was ultimately crushed by an increase in steel prices. Today, the elegant glass-and-steel homes are the subject of films, books, magazine articles, and exhibitions. 3. WALTER WHITE HOUSE 1011 W. Cielo Rd. (in Little Tuscany Estates) Sophisticated design and organic materials define this treasure. An educated eye might date it at 1975, even 1985, but little-known architect Walter White designed this outstanding house in 1955, after spending time with legendary Austrian-American architect R.M. Schindler. Note the curved roof, angled glass at back, mitered clerestory windows in the garage, notched steel beam, and lighting. 4. UPTOWN DESIGN DISTRICT N. Palm Canyon Dr. (between Tachevah Dr. and Alejo Rd.) Uptown Palm Springs offers a wealth of midcentury retail and design. Furniture, home accessories, jewelry, and fashions spill onto sidewalks from a network of boutiques offering modern finery. At Modern Way (745 N. Palm Canyon Dr.), look for a custom-made 1968 silver Cadillac Eldorado convertible alongside chrome floor lamps or a turquoise chaise lounge. Beyond Palm Springs, check out Cathedral City’s Perez Design Center on Perez Road and an assortment of consignment galleries and thrift stores that reach east as far as Indio. 5. 1955 FIRE STATION NUMBER ONE  (HSPB) 277 N. Indian Canyon Dr. Frey and Chamber’s 1955 Fire Station Number One on Indian Canyon Drive is a brilliant case study, combining refinement and new thinking, materials and practicality into a civic building. A flagpole pierces the open corrugated-metal roof, serving perhaps as a nod to the quintessential firehouse pole. 6. FREY HOUSE II (HSPB) Hillside, West end of Tahquitz Canyon Way Perched 220 feet above the desert floor, appearing like a glass box on the hillside, sits the second home of Albert Frey. Built from aluminum, steel, glass, and concrete block, the house surrounds an enormous granite boulder that divides living spaces in this less-than- 1,000-square-foot gem. Willed to the Palm Springs Art Museum on the architect’s death in 1998, you can tour Frey House II during Modernism Week (www.psmuseum.org). 7. THE HIDEAWAY 370 W. Arenas Rd. A 2010 Palm Springs Modern Committee Preservation Award recipient (psmodcom.org), this 1947 apartment/hotel building features copious modernist elements. Architect Herbert W. Burns’ work stretches from Palm Springs to Indio, recognizable from the infusion of gracious, elegant features such as low, sleek roof lines; a floating double soffit; extended thin brick or stone planters; and built-in wall clocks. 8. AIRPORT FOUNTAIN (HSPB) Tahquitz Canyon Way and El Cielo Rd. Another gem, the fountain at Palm Springs International Airport (which itself is a midcentury work of art, built in 1965 by Donald Wexler) was designed by prolific Guadalajara mid-century architect and educator Julio de la Pena Lomeli. Made of 398 hand-cut pieces of cantera stone from Jalisco, Mexico, the fountain was given to the City of Palm Springs in 1968 as a gesture of friendship. 9. ST. THERESA CATHOLIC CHURCH 2800 E. Ramon Rd. An inspirational peak set dramatically against the mountains draws us into a “must-see” interior of unexpected delight. Exceptional lighting, scale, and bold detail combine in travertine marble forms, bronze fittings, walnut pews, and remarkable windows. Palm Springs modernist William F. Cody designed every aspect of this 1968 house of worship.    10. BANK OF AMERICA (HSPB) 588 S. Palm Canyon Dr. This 1959 sculptural jewel by architect Rudi Baumfeld (Victor Gruen Associates) contains sophisticated references to North African buildings. He partly designed the Palm Springs bank as an homage to the architecture of a small chapel in Ronchamp, France by venerated modernist Le Corbusier. The bank’s original elements captivate passersby with elegant combinations of curved and linear forms, mosaic tiles, and a concrete window screen. 11. ROYAL HAWAIIAN ESTATES (HSPB) 83 E. Twin Palms Dr. (Across from Moorten Botanical Garden) Can you spell tiki? This striking island-inspired condominium community designed in 1960 by Donald Wexler and Richard Harrison features carved tikis and stylized apexes on lofty beams. It exemplifies an idiosyncratic midcentury subtext, including sometimes kitschy ideas, furnishings, and architecture inspired by the tropical experiences of Armed Forces who served there during World War II. 12. ALEXANDER TRACT HOUSES 1070 Apache Rd. In the 1950s and ’60s, father and son developers George and Robert Alexander introduced innovative housing concepts to the desert, featuring butterfly roofs, open carports, walls of glass, concrete decorative block, and wooden screens. In Twin Palms Estates (the first Alexander neighborhood), check out 1070 Apache Road: an award-winning 1957 Alexander beautifully updated with gates and mailbox by contemporary architect/artist Phillip K. Smith III and landscaping designed by William Krisel. Courtesy of Palm Springs Life Originally published in February 2011
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