PSST! - Swizzle Sizzle

Escena Golf Club clubhouse inspired by iconic midcentury modern architecture

The Escena Golf Club clubhouse draws inspiration from Palm Springs’ iconic midcentury modern architecture, but adds elegance with building and design materials such as beautiful woods and rich upholstery fabric. California Golf News & Travel magazine featured the clubhouse in a fashion spread in this month’s edition.

Chris Miller/ImagineImagery

In keeping with the “hip” theme of the master planned Escena Golf Club in Palm Springs, architect Douglas Fredrikson of Phoenix, Ariz., updated midcentury modernism at the community’s clubhouse.

The design pays homage to the prevalent design styles of the 1950s: “a little piece of history not to be forgotten, but cherished,” Fredrickson says. “I decided to respectively embrace the steel, stone, and glass structures of the midcentury design motif, opening up views, decks, and covered patios to the mountain views and golf course.” A spun-metal “swizzle stick” supports the patio canopy and pierces the deck into the water below. The design echoes in the entry canopy.

The clubhouse includes a pro shop, deck and patio, and a restaurant with a presentation kitchen and many gathering spots: on sofas around the fireplace or in the corner, at café and dining room tables, around a large circular bar, or at bar-height tables seating four or six. Escena has a separate meeting/dining room for private events.

Ann Motokane of Emiko Design in Denver, Colo., designed the interior with a combination of sleek woods, steel, concrete, and cushioned seating. Playing up curves in the flooring, furnishings, bar, and ceiling, Motokane adds sophisticated fluidity to midcentury modern surroundings. Douglas Fredrickson Architects and Emiko Design also worked together on the IW Club at Indian Wells Golf Resort.

Fredrickson did not draw from one iconic architect for inspiration. “It was more of a professional respect to recognize one of the most beautiful styles of architecture that was developed in years gone by and prevalent in the Palm Springs area in particular,” he says. “This simple, minimalist approach is still timeless today.”