Albert Frey, Architect

The work of modern architect Albert Frey (1903-98) is beautifully presented in this volume on his life and work. Frey arrived in the United States in 1930, the first of Le Corbusier's disciples to begin building in America. In 1934 he moved to Palm Springs, California, where he established the style that we now know as desert modernism, and where most of his work still stands. In addition to providing architectural and biographical details on the architect's career, Albert Frey, Architect also contains a list of all structures designed by Frey, bibliography of writings on and by Frey, and reprints of letters between Frey and Le Corbusier. Some of the projects in this collection are the Aluminaire House, Loewy House, Palm Springs City Hall, North Shore Yacht Club, and Frey's own houses. Numerous duotone photographs, many taken by Julius Shulman, as well as plans and sketches are also included. An introduction by David Gebhard discusses Frey's relevance within the Modern Movement and Frey's connection to nature and to historical precedent in his designs. This title is an updated and redesigned edition of a 1990 publication.

Joseph Rosa is chief curator at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. and is the author of A Constructed View: The Architectural Photography of Julius Shulman.