Albert Frey / Inventive Modernist

Albert Frey: Inventive Modernist at the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center

Curated by Brad Dunning

Architecture exhibitions are tough to pull off. Often it's mostly photos and plans, which this exhibition certainly has a lot of. However, Brad was able to mount a dynamic show of an architect he knew personally and it shows. In addition to a stellar exhibition design (no surprise there with his background), there are a number of three dimensional pieces and videos. Frey is one of my personal favorites and I certainly learned a lot. So much so that I'm going to have to go back at least once more.

Although Albert Frey (1903-1998) is synonymous with mid-century Palm Springs architecture, he began his career in the midst of European International Modernism. He was born in Zurich, Switzerland and studied architecture at Technische Hochschule, Zurich. He moved to Paris in 1928 to work for Le Corbusier. The Villa Savoye, one of the most iconic modern buildings of the 20th century, is one of the projects Frey assisted with. In this photo, Albert is seen in the middle wearing a white jacket. I'm sure you know who Le Corbusier by the glasses and close proximity to the Lampe Gras. Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret are on the right.

mon cher Frey

In 1928 Corbusier helped Frey get a job in the US with architect A. Lawrence Kocher, who was an editor at Architectural Record, faculty at the University of Virginia and Black Mountain College. From 1933-1934 they focused on designing low-cost structures, like the canvas clad Week-End House seen here and the soon to be reconstructed Aluminaire house.

Week-End House model

The Aluminaire house is credited as being the first prefab structure built in the US.

Albert's car

It was one of the Kocher-Frey commissions, an office/apartment dual-use building for Kocher's brother, Dr. J. J. Kocher, that brought Frey to Palm Springs. Frey fell in love with the California desert and would end up spending the rest of his life in Palm Springs. In 1935, the Kocher-Samson Building, was included in the Museum of Modern Art’s exhibition Modern Architecture in California. A little foreshadowing here. The Kocher-Samson building is still there and is home to Bon Vivant (pottery heads know).

Image: UCSB ADC

In 1937 Frey moved to New York to work on the Museum of Modern Art. Architects Philip L. Goodwin and Edward Durell Stone were the lead architects. It opened in 1939.

Albert's MoMA letter opener. The shape of the handle matches the curve of the porch at the ground floor entrance.

In 1939 he returned to Palm Springs and continued his partnership with John Porter Clark. This was their office.

And here is the desk.

Post-War Palm Springs began to boom and Frey, Clark and Robson Chambers built some of City's most important projects, like the Aerial Tramway Valley Station.

The subject of the Hinton Residence is a little touchy. This is one of the two Albert Frey projects in San Diego. Sam Hinton was a director of the Palm Springs Art Museum and his wife Leslie was an artist. Located in La Jolla, near UCSD, the house existed in pretty much original condition from 1954 when it was built, until just recently. It's been remodeled and unfortunately much of the character of the original design has been removed.