Donald Wexler

Donald Wexler
Born
Donald Allan Wexler

(1926-01-23)January 23, 1926
Sioux Falls, South Dakota, US
DiedJune 26, 2015(2015-06-26) (aged 89)
Palm Desert, California, US
Alma materUniversity of Minnesota
OccupationArchitect
Spouses
  • Marilynn Dawn “Lynn” Maidman
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1953; died 1988)​
  • Nancy Lou Unterman
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1991; died 2007)​
Children5
Buildings
  • Desert Water Agency, Palm Springs, California
  • Dinah Shore Residence, Palm Springs, California
  • El Rancho Vista Estates, Palm Springs, California
  • Larson Justice Center, Indio, California
  • Merrill Lynch Building, Palm Springs, California
  • Palm Springs International Airport, Palm Springs, California
  • Royal Hawaiian Estates, Palm Springs, California
  • Steel Development Houses, Palm Springs, California

Donald Allen Wexler, FAIA, (January 23, 1926 – June 26, 2015) was an American architect known for his work in Mid-Century modern architecture whose work is predominantly in the Palm Springs, California area. He is known for having pioneered the use of steel in residential design.[1]

Early life and education

Wexler was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in 1926 and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[2] He served in the United States Navy during World War II from 1944 to 1946.[3] Following his service, he attended the University of Minnesota, graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1950, funded through the G.I. Bill.[4][5]

Career

Early career

After graduation, Wexler worked briefly for the renowned architect Richard Neutra in Los Angeles, CA. He moved to Palm Springs in 1952 to work with architect William Cody, further immersing himself in the emerging Desert Modernism movement.[6]

Wexler & Harrison (1952–1961)

Later in 1952, Wexler established a partnership with Richard A. Harrison, forming the firm Wexler & Harrison. The firm was responsible for numerous schools, civic buildings, and residential projects across the Coachella Valley.[7]

One of their most notable collaborations was the Steel Development Houses (1961–1962), a series of seven prefabricated homes in Palm Springs built in partnership with the Alexander Construction Company, US Steel, and architect Bernard Perlin.[8][9] The project aimed to produce 38 all-steel houses but was curtailed due to escalating steel costs. These homes featured light-gauge steel framing, prefabricated panels, and open-plan designs that maximized natural light and indoor-outdoor flow.[10]

Donald A. Wexler Associates (1963–2000)

Following the end of his partnership with Harrison, Wexler founded Donald A. Wexler Associates in 1963. His solo career was marked by several landmark designs:

  • Dinah Shore Residence (1964): A steel-and-glass private home in Palm Springs later purchased by actor Leonardo DiCaprio.[13]
  • Merrill Lynch Building (1971): A New Formalist commercial building characterized by steel framing, concrete block facades, and solar bronze glass.[14]

Wexler's practice was intentionally small and regionally focused. His firm merged with WWCOT in 2000, which was later acquired by DLR Group.[15]

Architectural style and philosophy

Wexler's work emphasized light-gauge steel construction, flat roofs, deep overhangs, and expansive glass walls, embodying the principles of Mid-Century Modernism. His designs sought to integrate architecture with the desert environment, providing climate-resilient structures that facilitated indoor-outdoor living.[16]

Publications and legacy

A one time resident of Palm Springs,[17] Wexler had a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars dedicated to him in 2008.[18] Wexler's architectural legacy is preserved in his archives housed at the Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design.[19][20] In 2011, the Palm Springs Art Museum organized the exhibition "Steel and Shade: The Architecture of Donald Wexler".[21]

He was the subject of the 2009 documentary Journeyman Architect: The Life and Work of Donald Wexler.[22]

In 2011, developer Marnie McBryde presented plans to build up to 50 Wexler-designed houses, which are adaptations of the 1964 Palm Springs house he designed for Dinah Shore, throughout the Hamptons.[12] In 2014, actor Leonardo DiCaprio purchased the original Dinah Shore residence in the Old Las Palmas neighborhood of Palm Springs for $5,230,000 (equivalent to $6,950,000 in 2024).[23]

Selected works

  • El Rancho Vista Estates (1959–1962), Palm Springs, CA[24]
  • Steel Development Houses (1961–1962), Palm Springs, CA
  • Dinah Shore Residence (1964), Palm Springs, CA
  • Palm Springs International Airport Terminal (1966), Palm Springs, CA
  • Merrill Lynch Building (1971), Palm Springs, CA
  • Royal Hawaiian Estates (1960), Palm Springs, CA

Awards and honors

  • Retrospective exhibition Steel and Shade: The Architecture of Donald Wexler, Palm Springs Art Museum, 2011.[27]

Personal life

Wexler married twice. He was the father of five children.[28] Wexler lived in the Coachella Valley for nearly six decades, residing in Palm Desert, California, at the time of his death on June 26, 2015, at the age of 89.[29][30]

References

  1. ^ Bricker, Lauren Weiss; Williams, Sidney J. (2011). Steel and Shade : the Architecture of Donald Wexler. Palm Springs, CA: Palm Springs Art Museum. p. 131. ISBN 978-0981674346. LCCN 2010043639. OCLC 700522272. This book is published on the occasion of the exhibition Steel and Shade: The Architecture of Donald Wexler at the Palm Springs Art Museum, January 29 - May 29, 2011.
  2. ^ Grimes, William (July 1, 2015). "Donald Wexler, Architect Who Gave Shape to Palm Springs, Dies at 89". New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  3. ^ "DONALD ALLEN WEXLER, FAIA (1926-2015)". US Modernist.
  4. ^ Grimes, William (July 1, 2015). "Donald Wexler, Architect Who Gave Shape to Palm Springs, Dies at 89". The New York Times.
  5. ^ "Donald Wexler". Modern Desert Home. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
  6. ^ "Seeing Things". The New York Times. February 17, 2011.
  7. ^ "Donald Wexler". USModernist.
  8. ^ Black, Kent (2018-01-29). "Donald Wexler Designs Steel Houses to Shape Modernist Landscape". Palm Springs Life. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
  9. ^ Wisniewski, Katherine. "Remembering Donald Wexler, the Inventor of Palm Springs Modernism". www.curbed.com. Curbed.com. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  10. ^ "AD Classics: Steel Pre-Fab Houses / Donald Wexler + Richard Harrison". ArchDaily. June 28, 2011.
  11. ^ "Donald Wexler: The Man of Steel". Atomic Ranch.
  12. ^ a b Hodge, Brooke (February 17, 2011). "Seeing Things: Donald Wexler, Desert Modernist". Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  13. ^ "Leonardo DiCaprio buys Palm Springs estate". Los Angeles Times. March 7, 2014.
  14. ^ "Merrill Lynch Building Class 1 Historic Resource Nomination" (PDF). Palm Springs Preservation Foundation. August 27, 2023.
  15. ^ "Donald Wexler". USModernist.
  16. ^ "Donald Wexler: The Man of Steel". Atomic Ranch.
  17. ^ Johns, Howard (2004). Palm Springs Confidential: Playground of the Stars!. Fort Lee, NJ: Barricade Books. pp. 156, 216. ISBN 978-1569802694. LCCN 2004041116. OCLC 54392060.LCC PN2285 .J56 2004
  18. ^ Palm Springs Walk of Stars: By Date Dedicated
  19. ^ "Architectural Exhibition Features Work of Donald Wexler at Palm Springs Art Museum" (PDF) (Press release). Palm Springs Art Museum. December 1, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
  20. ^ "Donald Wexler". USModernist.
  21. ^ Hawthorne, Christopher (February 15, 2011). "Culture Watch: Architect Donald Wexler in Palm Springs". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  22. ^ "Culture Watch: Architect Donald Wexler in Palm Springs". Los Angeles Times. February 11, 2011.
  23. ^ Lauren Beale (March 7, 2014), Leonardo DiCaprio buys Dinah Shore's onetime desert home Los Angeles Times.
  24. ^ "USModernist Archives". usmodernist.org. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
  25. ^ "Donald Wexler". USModernist.
  26. ^ "Stars dedicated by date" (PDF). Palm Springs Walk of Stars.
  27. ^ "Press Release: Steel and Shade" (PDF). Palm Springs Art Museum. January 21, 2011.
  28. ^ "Donald Wexler's Palm Springs Home Receives Historic Designation" (PDF). Palm Springs Preservation Foundation. November 12, 2021.
  29. ^ "Modernist architect Donald Wexler dies". The Desert Sun. June 27, 2015.
  30. ^ Descant, Skip. "Modernist Architect Donald Wexler Dies at 89". No. June 27. 2015. The Desert Sun. The Desert Sun. Retrieved 28 June 2015.

Further reading

  • Lopez, Oscar. "AD Classics: Steel Pre-Fab Houses / Donald Wexler" 20 Aug 2011. ArchDaily. ISSN 0719-8884
  • McGrew, Patrick; Donald Wexler (2010). Donald Wexler: Architect. Palm Springs, CA: Palm Springs Preservation Foundation. p. 54. OCLC 688357507.
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