Modernism Week: Preserving the Legacy of Paul R. Williams

Palm Springs is one of those places that I’m so visually intimate with from its iconic desert landscape, idyllic indoor-outdoor lifestyle (think Slim Aarons), and signature mid-century architecture (think Richard Neutra and John Lautner), that it evokes a sense of nostalgia, making it feel as though I’ve lived there before, even though I never have. And with the city’s 15th annual Modernism Week going virtual this year, I had the opportunity to experience a taste of the modernist mecca from afar.

The Palm Springs Town and Country Center

One of the featured films, “Preserving Modernism: The Town & Country Center" documents advocacy efforts to save the modernist Town & Country Center designed by architects Paul R. Williams & A. Quincy Jones in 1948. The historic complex was under threat of demolition until recently, illustrating the urgency that accompanies preserving the pioneering legacy of Paul R. Williams  (February 18, 1894 – January 23, 1980).

Nicknamed “Architect to the Stars,” Williams was a lauded and award-winning African American architect. He was one of the most in-demand architects among the Hollywood elite, and one of the most overall successful architects of his time. He was known for his majestically glamorous homes, landmark buildings, superior craftsmanship, and his versatility. Paul R. Williams was part of a very small group of architects, that included Welton Becket, William Perrera, and Albert Martin, who really established modern 20th century Los Angeles. This group gave Los Angeles its architectural character and meaning across the bulk of the 20th century.

In a 1920s America, Williams was able to establish a prolific career despite the seemingly insurmountable odds he faced as a black man during the Jim Crow era. Even in the height of his career, his race made it so that he wasn’t always welcome in the buildings he designed nor allowed to live in the neighborhoods where his homes were located. Yet, he managed to use talent, presence, style, determination and charm to defy the odds and create a celebrated body of work. He even learned to draw upside down because he was not always able to sit beside his clients while sketching architectural drafts. His story has been both a source of personal inspiration and familiarity, both in how he allowed obstacles to help hone his craft, inspire creativity, and drive his ambition instead of curtailing them. I believe that one of the many reasons so much creativity and inventiveness comes from the black community is due in large part to similar narratives.

Both a gift and a curse, his race prevented him from having the luxury to adhere to a strict design style, like a Neutra or Lautner, where he could tell his clients they could essentially take it or leave it. Instead, he learned to master many architectural styles and designed great Tudor houses, Spanish houses, Monterey Colonials, and Georgians in addition to Mid-Century Modern and even made the design process collaborative with his clients, tailoring each residence to accommodate specific lifestyle needs. He worked in a range of revivalist styles and blended approaches as opposed to strictly embracing the architectural style of the day. In lieu of a signature style, he cultivated signature design elements such as spiral staircases, the use of round figures in design such as round windows, grand (yet understated) entryways, and lofty windows.

The Beverly Hills Hotel, designed by Paul R. Williams. Photograph by Slim Aarons

Some of his greatest commissions include The Beverly Hills Hotel (in fact, the iconic sign on the crescent wing is written in his handwriting), Frank Sinatra’s home in Los Angeles, Lucille Ball’s Palm Springs home, and the Atkins estate (a 12,000 square-foot 16-room Tudor Revival-style residence in Pasadena (featured in the movies Topper (1937), The Bells of St. Mary's (1937), Three Men and a Little Lady (1990), one of the Rocky movies, and Murder She Wrote). Other notable projects include The Los Angeles International Airport, St. Jude’s Hospital, Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company Headquarters, Saks Fifth Avenue on Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles, the Naval Air Station, MCA headquarters, Broadway Federal Savings Bank, YMCA, churches, among many other government, residential, and commercial commissions across the country and in South America. Williams was also chief architect for the United Nations building in Paris.

Williams' archives, containing approximately 35,000 plans, 10,000 original drawings, blueprints, hand-colored renderings, vintage photographs and other materials once thought lost, but have been cared for by his granddaughter Karen Elyse Hudson, have been recently acquired by the University of Southern California School of Architecture and the Getty Research Institute. The archives will be a central feature of the USC Center for Architecture + City Design and the African American Art History Initiative at the Getty's African American Art History Initiative. They will eventually be made available to scholars and others through a digitization project that will take several years. 

While we are lucky to have the opportunity to preserve the Palm Springs Town & Country Center and fortunate that his granddaughter has been such a good steward of Willams’ legacy, how many other black creators' work have we lost? It's as important as ever to document, preserve, and write about the work we do have. The best thing we can do to honor these legacies is to make sure they are not forgotten in history and can continue to inspire generations to come. 

About The Writer:

Jill Smith Handy is a contemporary art consultant based in New York City. She advises private collectors, public arts organizations, corporations, and local communities. Having worked in the art world for over a decade, Jill has held positions at leading post-war and contemporary art organizations such as David Zwirner Gallery and Kim Heirston Art Advisory. She believes that contemporary art can create powerful experiences from improving wellness to driving social change and is passionate about supporting emerging artists. https://www.smithhandyprojects.com/