Aluminaire House Receives $100,000 Donation

Aluminaire House Receives $100,000 Donation from Palm Springs Presentation Foundation,  Contribution to be Used to Reassemble Historic House

PALM SPRINGS — The Aluminaire House Foundation announced that it has received a $100,000 donation from The Palm Springs Preservation Foundation (PSPF) to aid in the reassembly and display of the historic structure.

Earlier this year the Aluminaire House Foundation (AHF) announced that the house would be situated on the grounds of the Palm Springs Art Museum. This donation will help the Foundation reassemble the house and provide funds to create the surrounding display area for the structure.

The PSPF grant letter states, in part, that “[PSPF] believes the assembly and display of the historic Aluminaire House…in Palm Springs will reinforce the city’s international reputation as a mecca for modernist architecture.” A primary condition of the PSPF grant is that the assembly and display of the Aluminaire House be completed, to PSPF’s satisfaction, no later than December 31, 2023.

The historically significant aluminum and metal residence was designed by Albert Frey and A. Lawrence Kocher in 1931. The Aluminaire House is considered a masterpiece of modernist design, recently listed by Architectural Record as one of the most important buildings completed worldwide in the past 125 years. New York architects Michael Schwarting and Frances Campani worked diligently for more than 25 years to save, protect and document Aluminaire, and formed the AHF to locate a suitable permanent home for the structure. The Aluminaire House arrived from New York, unassembled, in Palm Springs, California, in February of 2017. Once it is reassembled, the full arc of Albert Frey’s career in America, from 1931 until his death in 1998 in Palm Springs, may be experienced in the city and at the museum.

“We are tremendously honored that the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation has taken such a close interest in the reassembly and display of the Aluminaire House,” said AHF, California Chapter member Mark Davis. “We are gratified that preservation organizations realize the value of adding this historic structure to the city of Palm Springs. This amazing donation will greatly assist our efforts to reassemble the house and finally have it on display, further enhancing the City of Pam Springs’ reputation for outstanding architectural tourism.”

The AHF passed a major milestone this summer when it received a “Certificate of Appropriateness” from the city’s Historic Site Preservation Board to allow for the siting of the House on the grounds of the Palm Springs Art Museum.

“The Palm Springs Preservation Foundation has a mission to actively support significant preservation projects in our community,” said Gary Johns, PSPF President. “We have been closely following the progress of the Aluminaire House because it is exactly the type of relevant and important project that our organization supports. Once the house is reassembled, we know that this excellent example of Albert Frey’s work will be internationally acclaimed, so we are pleased to extend our support to assist in the reassembly and display of this work.”