1720 N Via Miraleste, Palm Springs

This single-level condominium at 1720 N Via Miraleste is a 1,231-square-foot unit within Park Imperial North, the early-1960s residential development designed by architect Barry Berkus and developed by Jack Meiselman. Completed in 1961, the unit was originally configured as a 3-bedroom residence; the third bedroom has since been absorbed into the primary living area, resulting in a generously proportioned open living space that flows directly to the exterior patio through large sliding doors.

The unit retains several of its most significant original architectural features. Clerestory windows and floor-to-ceiling glazing work in concert to animate the interior with natural light while maintaining a strong visual and spatial connection to the outdoors — a defining characteristic of the Berkus design approach within this development. Original terrazzo flooring remains in place at the threshold between the living room and the outdoor entertaining space, serving as both a material record of the unit’s construction anda transitional element that reinforces the indoor-outdoor continuity central to Desert Modernism.

The primary bedroom includes an en-suite bathroom. A large, fully walled private patio extends the living area outward, offering an enclosed outdoor room well-suited to the Palm Springs climate.

Subsequent modifications to the unit include installing dual-pane sliding doors and windows and replacing the original galvanized plumbing with PEX. Italian porcelain tile has been installed throughout the interior portions of the unit not covered by the original terrazzo.

Condo Development & Neighborhood

Park Imperial North is a 51-unit condominium community developed by Jack Meiselman and designed by Barry Berkus, representing one of the more cohesive examples of planned mid-century modern residential development in Palm Springs. The complex was conceived as an integrated community of modernist residences sharing communal amenity spaces — including two swimming pools and a spa pool — while preserving a degree of individual privacy and identity for each unit.

The development is situated within the Vista Norte neighborhood of central Palm Springs, a district that developed rapidly during the postwar era as the city expanded northward along its primary residential corridors. Vista Norte occupies a central position within the city’s geography, placing it within a short distance of downtown Palm Springs and the civic and commercial infrastructure that established Palm Springs as a destination during the mid-century period.

The consistent architectural language across Park Imperial North — marked by the Berkus-designed structural and fenestration systems — has allowed the development to retain much of its original character, making it an intact and documentable example of the residential work produced through the Meiselman–Berkus collaboration during the early 1960s.