People travel from all over the world to attend Palm Springs Modernism Week and now, for the first time ever, a satellite version of the premiere architecture festival is being held in Beverly Hills.
MADE in Beverly Hills is a collaboration between the creators of Modernism Week and the city that showcases Beverly Hills’ incredible architectural assets, world-class restaurants, iconic estates and stunning sculptures.
The four-day festival gives residents and visitors an opportunity to see the city as never before through a series of tours, panels, cocktail parties, lectures and films. The event began on May 4 and continues through May 7.
“We are very excited to welcome the launch of the MADE in Beverly Hills festival, which is the first of its kind for the City of Beverly Hills,” Mayor Dr. Julian Gold told the Courier. “People are enjoying a variety of art and architecture showings all around our city of things that they have never seen before, like the tour of the fifth floor of our very own City Hall Tower. This is the first time people get to enjoy a birds-eye view of the City.”
The festival kicked off on Wednesday evening with a stylish outdoor soirée at the Greystone Mansion, where city representatives, MADE representatives and guests toasted to the start of what all parties hope will be a lasting and exciting partnership.
Attendees enjoyed Champagne and fine wine from Planet Wine alongside gourmet charcuterie and nibbles from On the Mark Palm Springs while they took in the grand tutor architecture of the 1928 mansion.
MADE CEO Lisa Vossler Smith and Gold offered remarks, while Vice Mayor Lester Friedman and Councilmembers Lili Bosse and Sharona Nazarian joined them onstage. The evening concluded with the retro tunes of classic rock band The Dreamboats, with Bosse, City Manager Nancy Hunt-Coffey and other city leaders showing off their moves on the dance floor.
The magic of the festival continues all weekend long with architectural trolley tours of the city, exclusive opportunities to enter historic homes, special “Beverly Hills After Dark” deals at bars and restaurants and more.
“With over 20 events, including Beverly Hills After Dark, this gives our city an opportunity to engage our local community and beyond by encouraging people to come out and see things they may have never seen before and visit restaurants they may have never been to before,” said Director of Community Services Stephanie Harris.
“Not only will this event allow guests to learn more about our city, but it will generate revenue for our restaurants and shops by bringing more people into the city,” she added.
MADE, the organization behind Modernism Week, had been wanting to expand its festival footprint for quite some time and decided that the incredible architecture of Beverly Hills would make the city the perfect partner.
“Beverly Hills is a very special place, not just because of the legendary celebrities and Hollywood lifestyle that has such an incredible history there, but also because of the innovation and the design and architecture that has made an impression worldwide,” Lisa Vossler Smith, executive director and CEO of Modernism Week told the Courier.
While Palm Springs Modernism Week focuses mainly on mid-century modern architecture, Vossler Smith said the organization appreciates how Beverly Hills allows the festival to showcase a broader range of styles.
“We certainly are interested in the incredible mid-century architectural treasure trove that’s in Beverly Hills, but we now have the opportunity to learn and explore all of these properties from the early 1900s to the present day and there have been incredible significant architects working in Beverly Hills throughout the entire 21st century,” she said.
Another aspect of the festival that Vossler Smith is particularly excited about is the chance for people to go inside stunning private properties in the Trousdale Estates.
“The thing that’s so unique and special about the tours that we produce in Palm Springs and Beverly Hills is that we always try to work with the neighborhoods and the residents to be able to open private residences for viewing because the best way to experience architecture is to actually be in it,” she said.
The wide range of events are intended to cater to people of all ages, backgrounds and means. Some of the more exclusive experiences such as a private tour of the Beverly Hills Hotel led by architect Paul R. Williams cost up to $130, while many are at a more approachable $10 to $20 price point and some are even free.
The inaugural festival is expected to draw around 3,000 attendees over the four days, however Vossler Smith said MADE would love to grow the festival in future iterations. The city, for its part, has also expressed interest in continuing the event annually.
“It has been a truly great experience partnering with the MADE folks,” said Harris. “We couldn’t have asked for better partners.”
More information on the festival and event tickets can be found at beverlyhills.org/madeBH.
