Modernist Shelf Blog

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Palm Springs Architecture Tour

While in Palm Springs we went on a fantastic architecture tour given by Robert Imber, from Palm Springs Modern Tours. The knowledge and passion he had for the buildings really is unsurpassed. He is an advocate for architectural preservation and if you are in town I cannot recommend a tour enough. 

These are a few snaps I took while on the tour, not the best photos as there was so much to see!

The last image is the former Robert Alexander Estate but, is mostly known as Elvis' honeymoon house. Robert Alexander was the co-founder of Alexander Construction Company who went on to build over 2,000 modernist homes in the area between 1955-1965. 

But, the main thing I took away from the tour is Robert's formula of parts that make a great modernist house: "carport, breezeway, window, wall!" 

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Kaufmann House, Architect Richard Neutra 1947

My picture doesn't quite do it justice (I'm certainly no Julius Shulman) But, seeing Neutra's masterpiece in real life was an amazing experience. For me it is one of the most beautiful houses - the way it considers its surroundings and the practicalities of living in such a harsh desert environment. 

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Stair love <3

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Hatfield House, Golden Lane Estate By Chamberlin, Powell & Bon

This picture is taken at our friend's lovely flat. The double height window is a striking feature that floods the room with light (when the sun does decide to shine!)

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Daisy the mid-century loving cat.

Daisy is always eager to try out any design classic and give it her seal of approval! 

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Michigan State Medical Society Building designed by Minoru Yamasaki 1959. Located in East Lansing, Michigan.

While growing up in Lansing I never paid attention to the architectural gems on my doorstep - now when I come to visit I am much more aware and appreciative of my surroundings. This building designed by Minoru Yamasaki happens to be my favourite. Yamasaki states: "The intent was to build a serene and inviting builiding to express the idealism and humanity of the medical profession." 

Yamasaki is best known for designing the original World Trade Center in New York City. 

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Geniuses at Work. 

This photo is of Ray & Charles Eames' office as they had it in L.A.

After the office closed it was left to the chairman of Vitra - where it was then photographed, disassembled and then shipped to Germany, where it has been meticulously reconstructed at the Vitra Campus and can be seen today. 

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A few pictures from when I was at the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein last May. The architecture is just as inspiring as the products.

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$10 for wives (& students)

Found this eye-catching advert for the 1967 International Design Conference in Aspen (IDCA) in an old issue of Arts & Architecture magazine today... I might just ask my husband if I can go! ;)

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Coffee break. My caffeine consumption has increased drastically since I purchased this beautiful Finel Coffee Pot designed by Antti Nurmesniem. 

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Visited the beautiful Tuscan town of Arrezo for work a couple of weeks ago. This is a restaurant called Chiavi d'oro, beautifully designed with exquisite food. It occupies a corner and has huge beautiful windows looking out onto a buzzing market square. From the outside-in you see beautiful wood panelling full of wine and books, also spot the bespoke made table lights made of dexion-like bent tubing that position themselves carefully and geometrically above each table.

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The lovely gabion wall of the hackney marshes centre designed by Stanton Williams, that we discovered last weekend on a morning spent foraging for the last of the blackberries in nearby wick woodland.

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We recently visited the wonderful Homewood in Surrey. A modernist masterpiece in... Surrey, England! Designed by Patrick Gwynne in 1938, it was to be his first solo commission for his own parents, who were tired of their rather worn property that was alongside the becoming busy A3 roadside. Unbelievably he was just 23 when he started, producing something so incredibly considered – which to us felt to be the result of a lifetimes experience.

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The Gardens were the result of 20 years hard work by Gwynne's father very much the reason why the family did not simply opt to move. Instead the house was constructed at the furthest end on their property line, away from the road. Gwynne's attention to detail extended to the beautifully considered removal of concrete slabs for plants, which were even specified to be red in colour to work with the scheme.

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A lovely outdoor service cabinet, hovering a perfect height from the deck and an exterior artwork created later by an artist friend of Gwynne's, sits in a window panel.

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A lovely moment of asymmetric paneling amongst all the ply and concrete at the new Central Saint Martins building.

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Beautiful modular display board in the entrance at Turner Contemporary, by John Morgan studio.