Albert Frey and the Desert

This month’s journal is dedicated to the Modernist Architect: Albert Frey (1903-1998). He is seen by many as the founding father of ‘Desert Modernism’, a style that responded to the Bauhaus ideals of form follows function amid the beautiful stark backdrop of the desert landscape.

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Albert Frey was born orginally in Zurich and was a disciple of Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier before moving to Palm Springs in 1934, where he built his own house in the desert city in 1941.

Frey House II is a sight to behold, nestled into the hillside overlooking the Coachella Valley. He used the landscape itself to designate living spaces, with a giant boulder acting as a partition between the living room and sleeping area.

It’s a beautiful space to photograph, and you can even visit yourself via The Modern Tour, but for us no-one quite captures the essence of the place better than photographer Rosella Degori as seen here. For the full set of photographs, pay a visit to The Spaces website.

Photo Credit: Rosella Degori

Photo Credit: Rosella Degori

Photo Credit: Rosella Degori

Photo Credit: Rosella Degori

If you’d like to read more about Albert Frey and his work, we really recommend this article by Dezeen that takes a look at his design for Palm Springs Modernist City Hall.

Photo Credit: Don Buckner

Photo Credit: Don Buckner