Modernism Week 2027 at Palm Springs

Modernism Week 2027 presents an architecture-focused programme centred on midcentury modern architecture, Desert Modernism, interior design, landscape design, preservation and contemporary approaches to modern living. Architectural Home Tours are a core element, offering access to notable residences, neighbourhoods and designed environments through self-guided and docent-led formats. These tours examine the history, restoration, and design features of homes by architects including William Krisel, E. Stewart Williams, William F. Cody, Albert Frey, Donald Wexler, Richard Neutra, John Lautner, and A. Quincy Jones.

The home-tour programme covers private residences, condominium communities, historic estates, boutique hotel properties, gardens and neighbourhood districts. Featured properties and sites include Casa Haku, Mariposa, the Laswell House, the James Logan Abernathy Residence, Frank Sinatra’s Twin Palms Estate, Frey House II, the Raymond Loewy House, the Grace Miller House and Sunnylands. Recurring architectural themes include indoor-outdoor living, desert landscapes, butterfly rooflines, breeze blocks, brise soleil, glass walls, restored pools and the adaptation of midcentury houses for contemporary use.

The programme is designed for a broad audience, including visitors, homeowners, architecture enthusiasts, scholars, architects, designers, preservationists and people seeking an introduction to Palm Springs modern architecture. Bus and walking tours complement the home tours by situating individual buildings within broader neighbourhood and urban contexts, including Twin Palms, Vista Las Palmas, Old Las Palmas, the Historic Tennis Club neighbourhood, Indian Canyons, Little Beverly Hills, Tamarisk and the Uptown Design District.

Through its architecture-led tours, talks and preservation programming, the festival frames Palm Springs modernism as both a historic design movement and an active field of research, restoration and reinterpretation. It emphasises understanding buildings through their designers, occupants, neighbourhood settings, material details, and ongoing relevance to modern desert living.