What happens when a building by a well-known architect is designed for one kind of public service, and then transforms to serve its community in an entirely new way?
The firm of Clark & Frey designed Palm Springs Fire Station #2 in 1950 at the corner of the Polo Grounds that later became Sunrise Park. Transformed forty years later into today’s Mizell Center, it's a fascinating case study in civic architecture, adaptive reuse and the changing needs of a community. In this illustrated presentation, with many rarely seen historic images, you’ll be taken through the history of this building and the 38-acre campus of Sunrise Park, which features buildings and recreational facilities from the 1950s to the 2000s by some of Palm Springs’ most notable architects including John Porter Clark, Albert Frey, William Cody, Donald Wexler, Hugh Kaptur, Chris Mills and Maria Song. It’s a rare glimpse into midcentury architecture that is in total service to the community—from cowboy culture to skate parks
The presentation will be led by Tom Dolle, a designer, educator and Palm Springs Architectural Alliance member whose work includes a vision plan for the future of Sunrise Park. He has been instrumental in Mizell's evolving visual identity and interior environment, including its new donor signage and lobby design.
Mr. Dolle will be joined by Mizell Center’s Executive Director, Rob Wheeler. They will explore the building’s original architecture and purpose, its transformation into a senior center and the continuing architectural and interior changes that are giving this historic civic building yet another life.
Following the presentation, attendees are invited to join an optional guided architectural walk beginning with Mizell’s exterior and continuing to William Cody's Library (nearing the completion of a $40 million renovation), Donald Wexler’s Pavilion and Leisure Center, and Hugh Kaptur’s Swim Center (soon to have a new bath house). Together, these important public buildings tell a larger story about the development of Sunrise Park as a primary recreational center and how Palm Springs’ civic institutions—and the spaces they occupy—continue to evolve with the community they were created to serve.
The morning begins with a light breakfast gathering from 8:30–9:00 AM, followed by the illustrated presentation from 9:00–9:45 AM and optional architectural walk from 9:45–10:30 AM. This is a unique opportunity to look at a familiar Palm Springs civic landscape with fresh eyes—and consider how thoughtful adaptation can give good architecture a second life.
mizell.org