As I was walking along South Palm Canyon Drive on a recent trip to the Desert (aka Palm Springs), my attention was focused downward on the sidewalk, looking at the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. I came upon a historic marker that had been unceremoniously spray painted white and decided to read it. I had never heard of the Oasis Hotel before, but I had definitely heard of Lloyd Wright, architect of one of my Hollywood obsessions, the Sowden House, and the son of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. This I had to investigate! As I walked down the corridor I looked up at what I had previously ignored as yet another dilapidated old concrete structure and sure enough, there I saw the hallmarks of the Wright Style!
Interesting concrete blocks and that simplistic Moderne/Art Deco style that I adore.
Apparently this place was a haven for the stars, including Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Humphrey Bogart, and Shirley Temple. Back in the day before the term “Boutique Hotel” had been coined, this 24 guest room hotel was unable to make a profit, despite its claim of having the tower and the first swimming pool.
Here are some vintage shots of what the entire property looked like before it was torn down (other than the 40-foot tower) and replaced by an uninspired strip mall.
A few vintage postcards of the hotel in its heyday:
Although the tower has a Class 1 Historic designation, it looks like it is one “accident” away from being gone-zo.
See more Palm Springs photos at my main website.
3 comments:
So much oddities in today's post. Why the white spraypaint? It's not quite graffiti, nor is it an attempt to restore. What happened there? Also those cement blocks... It may be a Wright style but not a Wright level of craftsmanship. Were Lloyd's efforts known to be sub-par to his father? I know nothing of their history.
I gasped when I saw those long window grilles. Just gorgeous.
I know very little about Lloyd's work other than the Sowden House, which I think is incredible. It's hard to judge this one, especially since so little is left and the remains have definitely seen the ravages of time.
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