Wednesday, November 18, 2009

"Lost" Cody Found...



Some friends recently purchased this "lost" gem. They were turned on to it by Realtor Alan Miller who knows where all the good (architectural) stuff is. The house, built in the 1960s was commissioned by Mr. and Mrs. W. Sieman, a La Jolla couple who only used it for a couple of month a year. The architect was Bill Cody who had a wide range of stylistic expressions. For this project he created a Miesian Pavilion on a crest in Vista Las Palmas. In this image, the quiet street facade conceals a forecourt that leads to a transparent box....looking through the house to the pool, the million-dollar view beyond is as spectacular as it is surprising. One of the new owners is an architect who is planning a sensitive restoration. My compliments to all concerned...

Saturday, November 14, 2009

"Second Empire Revival" in Palm Springs


Did you know that there is no design review for single family homes in Palm Springs, unless they are proposed for a hillside site. On the other hand...there is no public hearing involved in the demolition of single family homes, unless they are located on a major thoroughfare....

Its always interesting to see a house like this in a town that is famous for its architecture....

Friday, November 6, 2009

The Importance of Context



These two photos taken about eighty years apart illustrate the importance of context. In the top image from a Gail Collection photo, the original El Mirador Hotel (1927, Walker & Eisen) is viewed from Palm Canyon Drive - originally Main Street. The tower was lost in a fire in 1989. In the lower photo, a replica of the original tower (1991, WWCOT/Chris Mills) now stands as a symbol of the Desert Regional Medical Center. Without a shred of irony, this replica tower was designated as Palm Springs' first Class 1 Historic Site....proving I guess that you don't have to be old to be historic...

The contemporary image was shot from Indian Canyon because in the intervening years an office building was built that blocks the original view. As for the context, drought-tolerant landscaping was really fashionable in the 1920s...I'm just saying...