Everybody into the pool!

With one of the highest ratios of swimming pools to population, we take a look at the history and attractions of pools in Palm Springs.

This episode of A Bert’s Eye View is brought to you by Modernism Week— the celebration of midcentury and modern architecture, design, and culture in sunny Palm Springs, California. Join the fun in October and February with tours, talks, parties, and more—tickets and details at ⁠modernismweek.com⁠.

The information presented in this podcast is for general knowledge and entertainment purposes only. All research that was done and opinions expressed are our own and not necessarily those of Modernism Week.

Episode Transcript

(00:06):
Hey there, and welcome to Upper's Eye View.
My name is Bert and I'm the Buster Operations Manager for
Modernism Week in Palm Springs, CA.
I coordinate all of our double Decker bus tours during our
Modernism Week festivals in February and October.
Many of you have been our guestsand we hope that you'll return.
If you haven't joined us yet, please do.

(00:28):
It's a great introduction to ourcity and its architecture.
While doing research for the bustours, I come across a lot of
information that we just don't have time to share.
This series of podcasts will highlight some of those
interesting details that we cannot cover during your short
time with us. So TuneIn and enjoy a bird's eye

(00:49):
view. When you fly into the Palm
Springs airport, either as a visitor or a returning resident,
look out the window at all the homes with what seemed like
turquoise jewels in the backyard.
Leaving the airport on your way home or to your hotel, you'll
pass modern day pool boys and small pickup trucks loaded with

(01:12):
hoses and poles on their way to making our pools sparkle and
shimmer like those turquoise jewels.
Welcome to our desert Oasis. The Coachella Valley boasts one
of the most remarkable concentrations of swimming pools
in the country, with an estimated 50,000 private, public
and community pools. This abundance reflects both the

(01:33):
city's history and its architectural and social
identity. A sun drenched retreat where
water elegantly counters the desert heat.
In 1909, Nellie Kaufman installed the city's first pool
at the Desert Inn, a modest addition that helped launch Palm
Springs as a Hollywood adjacent desert retreat.

(01:54):
By the mid 1950's the city boasted over 900 pools.
A decade later, Palm Springs achieved the highest per capita
pool rate in the US with about 1pool for every six residents,
roughly 2000 pools. This collection of pools is
inseparable from our mid centurymodern identity architecture

(02:16):
icons in Hollywood elite sought out sleek retreats with poolside
lounging that visually merged interior and exterior spaces.
Villa Hermosa completed in 1946 and designed by Albert Frey in
circles of garden and classic pool oriented towards mountain
views. An archetypical example of
desert modern living. The Kauffman House, made famous

(02:39):
in Slim Erin's 1970 photograph Poolside Gossip, has become an
iconic image of Palm Springs poolside living.
Pools come in all shapes and sizes.
Frank Sinatra's Twin Palms Estates is in the shape of a
piano and Raymond Lowey's house allows you to get in and out of
the pool from the living room. Canyon Country Club Estado's, a

(03:00):
condo complex in South Palm Springs, features 3 tennis
racket shaped pools. The Ocotillo Lodge on Palm
Canyon Dr. has a pool in the shape of a champagne cork,
kidney Oval, organic, rectangular or a lap pool.
Palm Springs loves them all. Today, Palm Springs resorts and
boutique hotels offer a dizzyingvariety of pools tailored to

(03:24):
every taste. The Parker Resort in Palm
Springs features 3 distinct pools built to cater to
different moods, from lively DJ soundscapes to serene retreats.
The Riviera Hotel has three swimming pools, including a
dedicated kiddie pool. The Rowan's rooftop pool,
perched 6 floors above downtown,provides panoramic desert vistas

(03:46):
and craft cocktails, perfect forlounging into the golden hour.
Other stylish pool destinations in the city include the Saguaro
Ace Hotel and Swim Club and the Del Marcos Hotel, each offering
unique designs and atmospheres for a curated pool hopping
experience. To experience true pool hopping,

(04:07):
for two weekends every August, the city hosts Splash House at
three different resort hotels around the city, with buses
shuttling the 30,000 Generation Z attendees between the DJ
fueled locations. Interestingly, in a city
dominated by pools, there's onlyone city owned and operated
public pool in Palm Springs. The Palm Springs Swim Center,

(04:29):
located in the Sunrise Plaza complex near the library and the
baseball stadium, features an Olympic sized pool, swim lessons
and Aqua aerobics. Pools in Palm Springs serve and
continue to serve as gathering places, from daytime swims and
social mingling to glamorous nights under the desert sky.

(04:50):
Surveys show that 66% of vacationing visitors cited
swimming and tanning among theirtop activities, far more than
golf or tennis. This social importance extends
from exclusive hotel pools to public facilities.
These pools are more than just places to cool off.
They celebrate Palm Springs pastand perpetuate a desert skyline

(05:12):
defined by shimmering rectanglesand organic curves reflecting
sunlight and mountain backdrops.Palm Springs identity is
intricately tied to its pools. Legend has it that Marilyn
Monroe was discovered poolside at the Racket Club, and photos
of Hollywood stars lounging poolside from the 1930s to the

(05:32):
1960s brought more people to ourresort city.
While they don't have a pool, in2012 the Palm Springs Art Museum
joined in and celebrated our pool culture with an exhibit
titled Backyard Oasis. The Swimming Pool in Southern
California Photography. In a region where sunlight
dominates nearly year round, pools offer not only relief from

(05:55):
heat, but also experiences in social design and leisure.
From the historic Desert Inn's first communal pool to the
perfectly styled resort escapes of today, water has shaped the
city's architecture, social life, and global reputation.
Whether featured as part of an iconic mid century modern home
or a rooftop retreat among desert skylines, Palm Springs

(06:18):
pools remain emblematic of desert glamour, innovation and
sustainability. So the next time you dip your
toe in the water in your backyard pool, the condo, or at
a hotel, you're not just coolingoff, you're becoming a part of
the history of our pools in PalmSprings.

(06:39):
Support for a bird's eye view comes from Modernism Week,
celebrating global modernism andPalm Springs design each October
and February. Learn more at modernismweek com.