Saturday, October 20 – Pre-Conference Tour – 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Palm Springs, California is known as being a mecca for Desert Modern architecture. Since the 1930s when Hollywood stars and wealthy architecture patrons began building houses in Palm Springs, this area has become world-renowned for work by Mid-century Modern architects Richard Neutra, Albert Frey, John Lautner, E. Stewart Williams, and Donald Wexler. Desert Modernism evokes a lifestyle of simple elegance and informality and is characterized by its use of glass, clean lines, natural and manufactured resources, and indoor/outdoor spaces. Today, this style is carried on in the Palm Springs area by current practicing architects. Join Sidney Williams, Curator of Architecture and Design at Palm Springs Art Museum, for a fascinating tour of some fine examples.

Fee: $35 per person includes transportation and a light snack. Limited to 40 participants.

For more information about the events during WMA 2012, download our Preliminary Program.