Coachella Valley Savings & Loan #2, Palm Springs, CA — Photographed 2015
I photographed the Coachella Valley Savings & Loan #2 building in Palm Springs during a quiet evening in 2015, drawn to how the structure transforms under artificial light. Designed by E. Stewart Williams and completed in 1961, the building sits at 499 S. Palm Canyon Drive and remains a standout example of mid-century modernism in the desert.
At night, the building’s signature inverted concrete arches are dramatically lit from below, casting bold shadows and emphasizing the sculptural rhythm of the facade. The lighting reveals the elegance and simplicity of Williams’s design, highlighting the interplay between mass and void, structure and air.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016, the building is celebrated for its role in defining Desert Modernism, a style that balances formal innovation with climatic sensitivity.
Photographing the structure after dark allowed me to study its form in a new way, isolated from its surroundings and animated by light alone. The calm of the evening and the architectural clarity of the design made for a powerful visual experience.
© 2015 jc buck
