641 E Louise Drive, Palm Springs

This 1,236-square-foot end unit at 641 E Louise Drive occupies a notable position within Park Imperial North, the 1961 residential condo development designed by architect Barry Berkus and developed by Jack Meiselman. The unit served as the development’s model home during the original 1961 marketing and sales campaign — a distinction that made it the primary showcase for the larger of the two floor plans offered within the complex. The configuration includes two bedrooms and a convertible den that functioned as a third bedroom in the original marketing materials, a flexible arrangement consistent with the open-plan sensibility of the Berkus design.

As an end unit, the residence benefits from an expanded window exposure and a degree of separation from adjacent units uncommon in condominium construction of this period. The living room is oriented to the west, a siting decision that aligns the primary social space with views toward the surrounding mountain range — a deliberate relationship between interior and landscape characteristic of Desert Modernism. A large main patio extends this westward orientation outward, functioning as an outdoor room with direct private access to one of the development’s two heated pools and the spa area.

The unit retains a significant number of its original 1961 fixtures, which remain operational. This degree of material integrity is uncommon in properties of this age and represents a meaningful record of the design and craft standards applied during construction. The unit was selected for inclusion in Modernism Week 2020, offering the public an opportunity to enjoy a great example of the Berkus-Meiselman residential design.

Condo Development & Neighborhood

Park Imperial North is a condominium community designed by Barry Berkus and developed by Jack Meiselman, completed in 1961 in central Palm Springs. The development was organized around two distinct floor plans — this unit representing the larger of the two — and was conceived as a cohesive modernist residential enclave with shared amenity spaces including two heated pools and a spa. The consistent architectural language across the complex, defined by the Berkus design vocabulary of clerestory windows, open plans, and strong indoor-outdoor relationships, has allowed Park Imperial North to retain much of its original mid-century character.

The development is centrally situated in Palm Springs, within a short distance of the city’s downtown corridor and the cultural and commercial amenities that defined Palm Springs during its mid-century peak. Its position and scale have allowed it to remain relatively insulated from the more intensive redevelopment pressures that have reshaped other parts of the city, contributing to the intact quality that distinguishes it within the Registry’s documentation of Meiselman-developed properties.

Park Imperial North is one of the few surviving examples of the Meiselman-Berkus residential collaboration and holds a documented place in the broader history of Desert Modernism in the Coachella Valley.