Featured image credit: Historical Marker Database
We’ve spent several blogs covering the mid-century wonders of California, particularly in Palm Springs and Los Angeles, getting to know several of the most prominent architects in the style. But perhaps the most prolific mid-century modern architect hasn’t been mentioned once. We’ll remedy that now. William Krisel left an indelible mark on the world’s image of classic California houses, but he remains one of architecture’s best-kept secrets.
Establishing the Palmer & Krisel Firm
Though he’d leave his impact on West Coast culture, Krisel was actually born in Shanghai, China, in 1924. His father served as a regional distributor for United Artists at the time and, in 1937, returned to the U.S., where the family moved into a Beverly Hills home. Even in those days, it was obvious that Krisel had an affinity for design.
After serving as the Chinese interpreter for General Joseph Stilwell in World War II, he studied architecture at the University of Southern California, graduating with honors in 1949. Ready to make his mark on California houses, he founded the Palmer & Krisel design firm with fellow modernist architect Dan Saxon Palmer, setting up shop in the Schindler Falk Apartments.
Mid-Century Modernism as an Affordable Concept
When Palmer & Krisel hit the scene, modernist architecture was largely a luxury market. But Krisel opened the benefits of mid-century modern architecture to the common man, which is likely why so many of his designs are overlooked in favor of more decadent examples of the style. Krisel worked with large-scale residential developers to mass-produce tract housing with a mid-century flair. Hallmarks like the clean lines, open floor plans, and indoor-outdoor flow were all there. It turns out affordable California houses with a mid-century style were a winning combination. By 1957, Palmer & Krisel were working alongside seven of the country’s ten largest homebuilders.
While some of Krisel’s homes shared designs, he made a point to ensure that no two neighboring homes looked alike, even if they did share the same general floor plan. Sometimes, this meant varying the roofline. Other times, it was achieved with a staggered setback from the street. And, by rotating floor plans, he was able to present different facades to the neighboring properties. But perhaps his greatest contribution to the classic design of California houses was the advent of the butterfly roof, a dramatic, V-shaped design that graced homes from the era across the state.
In the late 1950s, an interested buyer could feasibly purchase a Palmer & Krisel home, manicured landscape, fenced-in, air-conditioned, and with a swimming pool, for $29,900, roughly the equivalent of $413,000 today.
Nearly Doubing Palm Springs’ Homes
Unsurprisingly, Krisel’s legacy is most prominent in the mid-century modern mecca of Palm Springs. It’s estimated that the designer’s partnership with the Alexander Construction Company nearly doubled the size of the city. The partnership produced around 2,500 tract homes across the area, including homes in neighborhoods like Twin Palms Estates, Racquet Club Estates, Vista Las Palmas, Canyon View Estates, and Kings Point. Alexander Homes employed Krisel’s distinctive butterfly roof along with natural stone walls, patterned concrete blocking, high-mounted clerestory windows, and floor-to-ceiling glass panels that invited residents to take in the rich desert views.
While Krisel was creating California houses for the common man, his designs still appealed to the luminaries of the time. His “House of Tomorrow” project so struck the wife of area developer Robert Alexander that they decided to make it their family home. But most will remember it as the home where Elvis and Priscilla Presley spent their honeymoon.
Krisel’s Enduring Influence on Classic California Houses
Ultimately, Palmer & Krisel completed over 30,000 California houses, with some experts suggesting that’s a conservative figure. You can find his works in Palm Springs, the San Fernando Valley, San Diego, basically punctuating all of Southern California and stretching up through the state. The success of his Palm Springs tracts even inspired similar projects in Arizona, Nevada, and Florida.
We may have overlooked Krisel, but the architect did live to see a revived interest in his work, with many of his homes being restored to their former glory and even new constructions being built with his input. This culminated in the building of five new Palm Springs homes in 2006, each relying on his original Alexander tract blueprints.
A Name Worth Remembering
After what most would agree was a long, fulfilling life, William Krisel passed away in 2017 at the age of 92. And while his works may not turn heads quite the same way as a Neutra or Eames, his contributions to the design of quintessential California houses are immeasurable. In fact, it’s his boldness in extending these styles to the everyday man that has likely given him an extra degree of obscurity. That being said, aficionados still know and love a Krisel home. Especially in Palm Springs, where art and life are often closely entwined.
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