Southampton - The Palm Springs Art Museum will feature the exhibition Steel and Shade: The Architecture of Donald Wexler, highlighting the many significant works this renowned mid-century architect designed in his career. The exhibition runs from January 29 to May 29, 2011 and features a full-scale sectional steel model built inside the museum, illustrating the prefabrication system that Wexler used in the design of his famed "steel houses." A catalogue, available for purchase at the Museum Store details Wexler's rich history and includes essays by co-curators, Lauren Weiss Bricker, Ph.D., professor of architecture, Cal Poly, Pomona, and Sidney Williams, curator of architecture and design, Palm Springs Art Museum.

Wexler practiced architecture during what he calls the "golden age" of California architecture from the immediate postwar years through the 1970s. This was a time when architects enjoyed considerable freedom to employ new materials and technologies in their search for functionally beautiful architecture. The extremes of the desert climate forced Wexler to develop a sustainable architecture, which was not only successful functionally, but achieved a timeless aesthetic appeal. During a career that spanned almost six decades, he designed numerous houses, condominium complexes, as well as banks, office parks and schools.

A large map in the exhibition identifies the number and range of his projects throughout the Coachella Valley, showcasing more than 90 Wexler-designed structures, including the Palm Springs International Airport, the residence of actress Dinah Shore, the Bank of America building and the Spa Bath House (now the Spa Hotel).

To read more about Wexler, visit this link to a prior story from Hamptons.com:
Hamptons Modern Is On The East End Architectural Horizon.