Architecture Tour

Today we had a real treat. PS Modern Tours offers a 3-1/2 tour of some of the most important Modernist mid-century architecture in and around Palm Springs. Palm Springs is regarded as the epicenter of the movement, and has been the launching place for some of the most important architects in the world. The tour is a one-man operation, and Bob Imber is an expert on Palm Springs history and architecture and design. He took four of us on the tour today, and it was fascinating and entertaining. He's a wealth of information, and we saw parts of the city we had never seen before, despite lots of time driving around over the past few years. We saw some amazing buildings, both residential and commercial, and learned about their history, who the architects were, how they were built, who lived (or is living) in them, and much more. Bob knew several of the architects personally and knows many of the people who have bought and lived in the homes over the years. He explained the design of each one, how to spot certain design details, and why the buildings are important. Many of them would not be noteworthy to most people; unless you know, or care, what you're looking at you might drive right by some of these buildings. Many of them are in unprepossessing neighborhoods and some are in neighborhoods that were actually considered run down and are only now being recognized for the wealth of wonderful homes they contain. We also learned about how preservation of important architecture in Palm Springs is, surprisingly, an often uphill battle. Because of politics and special interests, many owners of architecturally important buildings actually fight being designated a Class 1 Historic Site. This was a fabulous experience, and now we know about a lot of hidden neighborhoods in the city.