Back by popular demand! Encore screenings of The Debut of the 1931 Aluminaire House, which premiered during Modernism Week 2025; recipient of two 2025 Telly Awards.
An unforgettable and immersive journey as we transport ourselves to April 17, 1931, the day before the iconic Aluminaire House, designed by architects Albert Frey and A. Lawrence Kocher, was unveiled to the public for the very first time. Witness this architectural marvel, recreated in stunning photorealistic cinematic detail.
Picture bustling Lexington Avenue, filled with the sights and sounds of the 1930s–pedestrians styling the latest fashions, vintage automobiles cruising by, and an atmosphere buzzing with the excitement of the city. As the immersive experience unfolds, you will walk alongside history to the entrance of the Grand Central Palace, the venue hosting the prestigious 1931 Allied Arts & Industries Architectural League’s 46th Annual Exhibition.
By invitation from Frey and Kocher, step inside the Grand Central Palace for a private tour of the recently completed Aluminaire House. Gleaming under the exhibition hall lights, the house stands as a beacon of modernity, ready to impress the 100,000+ guests who visited it during its week-long display. Then, from seeing the house on exhibition, the film transitions to a hyper-realistic tour of a suburban neighborhood constructed of multiple Aluminaire Houses!
Before the short animated rendering is a 20-minute video created by filmmaker Jake Gorst. Exploring the history of Aluminaire–from its inception and construction as an exhibition house, to it being moved multiple times and its eventual deterioration and near destruction, to being saved, its journey from New York to Palm Springs, and Aluminaire's reconstruction on the grounds of the Palm Springs Art Museum for permanent display.
Modernism Week presents this immersive experience in celebration of 10 years dedicated to promoting and supporting Aluminaire’s arrival and reassembly in Palm Springs. We extend our sincere appreciation to The Chris and Jim Scott Family Foundation and Dr. Elizabeth Edwards Harris for their generous support of the animated rendering, and to Lu and Brian Eyerman of Skyline Ink for their meticulous historical research and technical expertise that brought this project to life.
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