Symposium: Modernism in the American Desert
Event Details
Across the vast expanse of the American Southwest, the desert gave rise to a distinctive strain of Modernism — bold, experimental, deeply rooted in place – that advanced Modern architecture. Architects and designers across the region reimagined how modern life could harmonize with the land and keep pace with new technology and culture.
Modernism in the American Desert brings together leading historians, architects, and preservationists for a two-day exploration of this remarkable regional story. Anchored by keynote presentations from Alan Hess and Adrian Scott Fine, with moderator Paul Makovsky, Editor-in-Chief of Architect Magazine, the talks trace the shared ideas and independent visions that shaped desert modernism across the cities of the Southwest, each a laboratory of design and imagination, and together a movement of American innovation.
Featured Speakers
- Alan Hess · Keynote: Architect, historian, author, and critic
- Adrian Scott Fine · Los Angeles: President and CEO, Los Angeles Conservancy
- Eric Strain · Las Vegas: Architect, Assemblage Studios
- Sian Winship · Palm Springs: President, Society of Architectural Historians/Southern California Chapter
- Eddie Jones · Phoenix: Architect, principal, Jones Studio
- Alicia Barber · Reno: Historian and preservation advocate
- Rick Joy · Tucson: Architect, founder of Rick Joy Architects
- Paul Makovsky · Moderator: Editor-in-Chief of Architect Magazine
Together, these voices will illuminate how climate, landscape, technology, and freedom from convention gave rise to some of the most original architecture of the 20th century. From Wright’s Taliesin West to the Googie landmarks of the automobile age, the symposium celebrates the Southwest’s role in defining modern life, and its continued influence on the architecture of today.
The conversation concludes with a roundtable conversation bringing together all participating speakers for an open exchange on the evolving legacy of desert modernism. Moderated by Paul Makovsky, the discussion will explore the principles that shaped twentieth-century modernism in the American Southwest.
Join the conversation.
This Symposium ticket grants access to all presentations at the Tucson Convention Center on Friday, November 7, and Saturday, November 8.
Individual presentation tickets may also be purchased separately.