We had toured one of his steel houses in a previous Modernism Week and also he made an appearance at a film showing we saw but luckily this was a different film we hadn't seen (we thought that was the case). He talks about his work in the film and he is a most modest unassuming man. I was amused by how he became an architect. He served in WW II and was on the GI Bill which meant he could pursue post secondary education. He took a battery of test to see what profession he was suited to. The result was "Architect" and he had to look it up as he didn't know what it was!
Of course, we experience his genius everytime we fly in and out of Palm Springs. I have often said it is the best airport experience in the world....outdoor departure lounges and the wonderful scenery and mountain are all around you. In the film he mentions the airlines were shocked when he asked them what their needs were. Usually they are just given a space.
This is a very short cool little film (just over a minute) on the airport:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZlYupUE-0w
From his obit:
"He designed the main terminal of Palm Springs International Airport with its soaring view of the mountains, the Royal Hawaiian Estates development on a Polynesian theme, and Dinah Shore’s home, purchased last year by Leonardo DiCaprio, which could be the ultimate “Mad Men” house with its floor-to-ceiling glass walls, sunken bar and massive stone fireplace.
Thousands of visitors yearly flock to see Wexler’s designs — which also include medical buildings, schools, offices and even a gas station — during Palm Springs’ Midcentury Modern design events.
But not long ago, Wexler’s most revolutionary creation, in the north end of Palm Springs far from celebrity homes, was almost neglected.
It was there in the early 1960s that he planned modestly priced homes with stunning Midcentury Modern features, primarily using steel."
This is a very short cool little film (just over a minute) on the airport:
From his obit:
"He designed the main terminal of Palm Springs International Airport with its soaring view of the mountains, the Royal Hawaiian Estates development on a Polynesian theme, and Dinah Shore’s home, purchased last year by Leonardo DiCaprio, which could be the ultimate “Mad Men” house with its floor-to-ceiling glass walls, sunken bar and massive stone fireplace.
Thousands of visitors yearly flock to see Wexler’s designs — which also include medical buildings, schools, offices and even a gas station — during Palm Springs’ Midcentury Modern design events.
But not long ago, Wexler’s most revolutionary creation, in the north end of Palm Springs far from celebrity homes, was almost neglected.
It was there in the early 1960s that he planned modestly priced homes with stunning Midcentury Modern features, primarily using steel."
