Southridge - Beyond the Gates

Southridge, one of the most dramatic locations to live in Palm Springs, is an exclusive community known for its concentration of architectural excellence and the ultimate in seclusion and privacy.  It is not accessible to casual tourists and architectural explorers, yet can be seen by all from most any point in Palm Springs -- just look up toward the high ridge south of town. Typically, the fortunate few get through the gates. 

"The ultimate in luxurious desert living,” teased an early advertisement in the December 1960 edition of Palm Springs Life.  An artist rendering in a vintage advertisement of the Southridge development show mid-century modern homes on commanding lots with mountain and city views.  In 1962, the first Southridge residence was completed in what was Palm Springs’ first hillside development.

Well-known architects designed dramatic homes for equally well-known clients, on lots created to maximize the panoramic views from a soaring elevation far above the valley floor.  While several of these houses featured are world-famous - their histories may be less so but taken together produce more than just a fascinating “Map of the Stars Homes” – on Southridge, the homes ARE the stars.

Susan Secoy Jensen holds a master’s degree from the UCLA School of Architecture & Urban Design and has an extensive background in historic preservation and modernism. In 1996 she established Secoy Architects, Inc. which specializes in mid-century design and adaptive reuse projects, both residential and commercial. Susan formerly served on the Palm Springs Architectural Advisory Committee and currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation.  She and her husband recently restored a modernist home on Southridge.  secoyarchitects.com

Steven Price is an author, producer, speaker, historian, and preservation consultant.  A native Angeleno, Steven came of age in the 1960s and ’70s, a golden time and place for the architecture and design style later to be known as mid-century modern. Price is a recognized authority on mid-century modern architecture, with sold-out speaking engagements on such subjects as Trousdale Estates, developer Paul Trousdale, midcentury modern Beverly Hills, Palm Springs, and Palm Desert. He is the author of Trousdale Estates: Midcentury to Modern in Beverly Hills (Regan Arts, 2017) 

$15

Things to Know
This event is for ages 12 and older.
The entrance to the Annenberg Theater is located behind the Annenberg Theater Box Office, adjacent to the Palm Springs Art Museum's North Parking Lot.
Ample free public parking is available in the multi-level public garage across from the Palm Springs Art Museum.
Handicap parking is available. This event is wheelchair accessible.
The organizer of this event is Modernism Week.

Event Check-in Location 
Annenberg Theater,  Palm Springs Art Museum, 101 N. Museum Dr., Palm Springs, CA 92262
View Map
 

Photo Credits: Secoy Jensen, Collection Secoy Jensen, Photography Brian Thomas Jones, Drawing by Hugh Kaptur, Photo Secoy Jensen