5 things we learned at Modernism Week 2023

The curtain has closed on Modernism Week 2023, and The Desert Sun is looking back on everything we learned at the latest iteration of the popular celebration of mid-century modern artchitecture.

This year, The Desert Sun attended more than 10 events ranging from a talk on the role of architecture in famed director Alfred Hitchcock's films to a tour of Frank Sinatra's mountain home in Pinyon Crest.

Here's a few of the most interesting facts we learned during the 11 days of Modernism Week festivities.

The Bauhaus architectural style expanded to London in an unusual way

In a presentation by "Isokon and the Bauhaus in Britain" authors Magnus Englund and Leyla Daybelge explained how Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer and László Moholy-Nagy escaped Nazi Germany for the Lawn Road Flats, the first modernist building in London designed by Canadian architect and designer, Wells Coates.

This move helped spread Bauhaus throughout the world through the Isokon firm, founded by Coates and businessman Jack Pritchard. The company designed buildings, furniture and graphic art that continues to inspire design.

But the Lawn Road Flats, which opened in 1934, fell into disarray during the '90s. Englund said the building was uninhabitable after sewage lines burst and even the squatters moved out. The building underwent a renovation in 2003 and everything was replicated to its original state. In 2014, the Lawn Road Flats became a museum and even though its open only during weekends, 25,000 visitors have gone through it.

— Brian Blueskye

More:Modernism Week 2023: How architecture added to the horror in Alfred Hitchcock's films

Racquet Club Estates was home to everyone from Debbie Reynolds to Uncle Fester

It's well known among architecture aficionados that William Krisel of Palmer & Krisel Architects designed the 1225-square-foot homes that have dominated the Racquet Club Estates neighborhood since its founding in 1959. It's also common knowledge that these homes, which feature post and beam construction and an indoor/outdoor relationship to the 1/4-acre lots they sit on, were built by Alexander Construction Co.

What I didn't know before my Saturday morning Racquet Club Estates tour, however, is that the neighborhood was home to more than a couple Hollywood stars of the '50s, '60s and '70s — at least part time.

Actors who owned vacation/weekend homes in the area include Jackie Coogan (best known for playing Uncle Fester in the '60s hit "The Addams Family"); Steve McQueen (best known for his roles in major films such as "The Great Escape" and "The Thomas Crown Affair"); Palm Springs Walk of Fame star recipient Debbie Reynolds (who actually purchased her home on Racquet Club Road for her parents but visited frequently); Ruta Lee (best known for her roles in "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and "Funny Face") and, last but not least, the infamous Cheeta, a chimpanzee who retired to Palm Springs after a supposedly illustrious career in "Tarzan" films but whose Hollywood bonafides were later cast into doubt.

— Niki Kottmann

More:Modernism Week 2023: Bohemian and Hollywood regency styles bring 'Yoasis' home to life

The Alger Shelden Estate includes an underground secret

The Alger Shelden Estate, the oldest existing home in South Palm Springs' Deepwell neighborhood, was built in 1935 and sits on a double lot that features much more than a prime example of "Desert Modern Ranch" architecture.

Designed by architects Albert Frey and John Porter Clark for prominent businessman and Detroit transplant Alger Shelden, the lot includes a structure off to the left of the main home that is believed to have once been a shed, but is now a partially underground guest house called the "hobbit house." Tour guests were invited to peek into the guest house, but one area they weren't allowed to see was the hidden tunnel that connects the "hobbit house" to what was originally a bomb shelter (which was not accessible to the public) hidden off to the side of the main house.

Current owners Sally Julien and Peter Loforte saw the home's potential after it fell to disrepair due to two decades of "deferred maintenance." After purchasing it five years ago, they gave the home a contemporary facelift but stayed true to its heritage. They also continued the mischievous vibe of the home by installing a modern laundry room — complete with a dog washing station — behind a hidden bookcase off the living room.

— Niki Kottmann

Mid-century modern isn't just found in Palm Springs

This year, Modernism Week included events not only in Palm Springs and Palm Desert, but also Rancho Mirage, the latter of which has an impressive array of modernist gems that tend to get outshined by their western (and even eastern) neighbors.

Several Rancho Mirage homes were available for tours this year, but only a select few people got to step inside the acclaimed 1957 Kenaston Estate, designed by E. Stewart Williams (who also designed Frank Sinatra's Twin Palms Estate). The home played host to the After Dark – PS ModCom Gala Benefit, which included cocktails, conversation and live performances by Los Angeles-based musical group Martini Kings.

Now recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, the single-story home features a flat roof, deep overhangs, and large sliding glass doors that help promote an indoor-outdoor flow.

— Niki Kottmann

More:Modernism Week: Rancho Mirage's history, mid-century architectural gems to be showcased

When Nancy Sinatra comes to town, Arenas shuts down for her

OK, so this isn't a fact about architecture, but as someone who attended Modernism Week's first-ever Boots on Arenas — The Ultimate Street Party Celebration honoring Nancy Sinatra, it was a fun observation.

I arrived shortly before the party was set to begin on Arenas Road the last Saturday of Modernism Week, but as of the start time, it was business as usual on the famed row of LGBTQ bars, except for a crowd forming in front of Stacy's, in front of which several parking spots had been blocked off.

I looked around as a crowd soon gathered on both sides of the street, but traffic flowed as usual (albeit when one enthousiastic eventgoer danced into the street, stopping an unsuspecting SUV from moving for a few moments). DJ Modgirl kept the party vibes going and Bella da Ball encouraged everyone to lean into the music while the crowd eagerly awaited who we all assumed must be the main event herself: Nancy Sinatra.

Then, all of a sudden, the music stopped, half of Arenas was blocked off, and there she was: Frank Sinatra's daughter and "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" songstress Nancy Sinatra. Moments after DJ Modgirl announced the icon's presence, a Modernism Week double-decker bus pulled up, allowing a group of young Palm Springs Dance Academy performers donning matching white boots and groovy flower power dresses to make their grand entrance.

The girls got in position in the middle of the street, right in front of a beaming Nancy Sinatra, speakers started blaring "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" and the dancers performed a sassy jazz number for the star and all her fans in attendance.

— Niki Kottmann

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 5 things we learned at Modernism Week 2023