Mid Century Architecture in Palm Springs: Living Like Frank Sinatra

On East Alejo Road number 1148, behind a nondescript gate in the heart of Palm Springs, stands a piece of American architectural history: Twin Palms. "This is a fabulous house," says interior designer Kurt Cyr, who moved from Los Angeles to California's desert town and today guides tourists around the area.

Frank Sinatra lived on E. Alejo Road for ten years. He commissioned the house when he had his first million contract with the Hollywood studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1947. The movie star demanded a huge Georgian-style house with columns, as pompous as possible. "And it should be ready for Christmas, because then Frank Sinatra threw legendary parties," says Cyr.

With his wish, Sinatra was in the wrong place. Architect E. Stewart Williams was able to modernize: flat houses that stretch over large areas, desert suitable for playing with sun and shade. A style that would later make him known as Mid Century Modernist. Like the other young architects, many of them from Europe, who settled in Palm Springs at that time to realize their ideas. They were influenced by Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

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Williams accepted the commission from Sinatra and presented him with two designs - one with columns, one modern. The Hollywood star chose modern. "Good luck," the architect later said. "Building the other house in the desert would have ruined us."

It looks inconspicuous from the outside, as does the vast majority of buildings in Palm Springs. If you can see anything of the one-story buildings, which are often behind walls and framed by exactly trimmed trees, bushes and shrubs.

Inside, however, it is spectacular, as evidenced by the images of the brokers who rent the villa to wealthy vacationers. There is not only a pool in the shape of a grand piano, but plenty of space in the house. Four bedrooms, seven bathrooms, in one of them: a cracked sink. Of course there is a story about it. "Ava Gardner, his second wife, and Frank have been arguing a lot," says Cyr. And in one of these disputes, Sinatra threw a champagne bottle after the diva.

That Frank Sinatra had a house built in Palm Springs was no coincidence, and the entertainer was not the only star of his time to settle in the Coachella Valley. Palm Springs was the retreat and playground for Hollywood's A-Riege. Ava Gardner, Howard Hughes, Paul Newman, Doris Day and Marilyn Monroe lived here. Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, Humphrey Bogart, Marlene Dietrich and Dean Martin visited regularly.

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They all had contracts with the big studios according to which they had to be available on call. "They were not allowed to stay any further than 100 miles or two hours from Hollywood," says Bob Gross, who left his life behind in San Francisco and now works as a guide in Palm Springs.

Palm Springs fit in the time window - and became the "Movie Colony". Close enough to the studio system to work. Far enough away to celebrate largely undisturbed. Besides, there is nice weather almost every day of the year. The San Bernardino mountains in the north, the Santa Rosa Mountains in the south and the San Jacinto chain in the west form an impressive landscape.

It is pleasant, however, only from autumn to spring. In midsummer it gets very hot here. Therefore, the modern architects from the post-war period had to incorporate the climatic conditions into their plans. Alan Carr, for example, the producer of the movie "Grease", has a large pool in the garden of his house designed by Albert Frey - and in turn a huge boulder. The Kaufmann House, created by Richard Neutra, has an outdoor sleeping area.

"This architecture is often very delicate," says Cyr about the style of the houses that were built between the 1940s and 1970s. This is in stark contrast to the harsh, almost life-hostile environment. "And that's exactly what makes both so good."

Frank Sinatra's party flag

As unusual and unique as it is in the city, one thing is traditional: "At 5pm is happy hour," says Cyr. Sometimes even earlier, you do not see it that close. This happy hour was legendary even in the days of Hollywood stars, especially at 1148 E. Alejo Road.

When Frank wanted to celebrate Sinatra, he hung a Jack Daniels flag between the two palm trees that towered over the property. "That was the sign for the other stars to go to the Villa Twin Palms and enjoy life."