Born from a lifelong love of building and inspired by the iconic mid-century modern spirit of Palm Springs, this ambitious public art project reimagines the city’s most beloved architecture, landmarks, and everyday scenes entirely in LEGO® bricks.

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What began as a childhood imagination, rediscovered during the pandemic, has evolved into a bold vision: a series of highly detailed, illuminated LEGO® models – homes, banks, theaters, downtown streets, and cultural moments – that celebrate Palm Springs’ design legacy while inviting wonder, nostalgia, and play.

Planned as a phased, evolving public art endeavor, the project will culminate in publicly displayed installations accessible to residents and visitors alike.  Please consider contributing through the GoFundMe campaign to help bring these miniature architectural artworks from virtual designs to real-world exhibition.

Why Public Art?

Palm Springs is a city that believes art belongs to everyone, woven into daily life rather than exclusively hidden behind museum walls. From the moment you arrive at the airport, to large-scale installations along city streets, to hand-painted downtown benches and traffic control boxes created by local artists, public art here is part of the city’s identity.

“”I want these brick-built interpretations of Palm Springs architecture and scenes to live in that same shared space—to surprise people, spark curiosity, and invite connection. By turning these works into public art, the project becomes less about my personal enjoyment and more about storytelling, accessibility, and giving something back to a city whose creative spirit is already proudly on display.

– Todd A. Jones

This is a story about creativity rediscovered, a city deeply loved, and an unconventional medium used to honor history, spark joy, and build something entirely new—one brick at a time.

Projects Ready for Phase 1 Support

Mid-Century Modern Home

The Mid-Century Modern Movement

Mid-century modern residential homes emphasize clean horizontal lines, open floor plans, and a seamless connection between indoors and outdoors through expansive glass and sliding doors, prioritizing simplicity, function, and livability. In Palm Springs, this style is shaped by the desert environment, incorporating flat or gently pitched roofs, deep overhangs, breeze blocks, and shaded courtyards that manage heat while framing mountain and sky views, resulting in architecture that feels light, relaxed, and inseparable from its sun-drenched landscape. Well-known architects in this style include Richard Neutra, Albert Frey, Donald Wexler, William Krisel, John Lautner, and E. Stewart Williams.

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  • The model’s modernized two-story home features a classic flat roof and hallmark mid-century modern details, including expansive windows, deep overhangs, decorative brickwork, large exterior panels, and a palm tree rising through the sun awning.

  • Inside, period-inspired furnishings contrast with a traditionally tiled bathroom, while the outdoor spaces include a formal patio with fire pit, brick privacy wall, pool access, and surrounding desert landscaping of agave, cacti, and flowering plants.

  • The covered carport extends the modern aesthetic with solar panels, integrated landscaping, outdoor seating, and a small lawn, while the saltwater pool deck offers lounge seating, a sun cover, and a pool house with a bathroom, refreshment area, and a Wexler-style roof.

  • Completing the setting, a Palm Springs–inspired plaza features benches, lush plantings, a large palm, mountain backdrops with symbolic inserts referencing local bat caves and the aquifer, an “I Love PS” sign inspired by Tahquitz Plaza, and a ticket booth that nods to Modernism Week home tours.

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An early prototype of this model was constructed to understand building techniques and lighting effects.  The real-life photo below illustrates the effects of lighting on the models.  All projects will include lighting, but are not reflected in the rendered images.  Use the slider to observe the effect.

Mid-century modern home without lightingMid-century modern home with lighting

City National Bank

An architectural icon of the Mid-Century Modern era

Built in 1960, the former City National Bank building in downtown Palm Springs is a refined example of mid-century modern commercial architecture designed by influential architect Victor Gruen. Conceived during Palm Springs’ postwar growth, the building emphasized modernity, transparency, and climate-responsive design through clean horizontal lines, concrete and glass construction, deep overhangs, and a sculptural brise-soleil to control desert sunlight. Gruen’s design rejected traditional monumentality in favor of functional elegance suited to both commerce and environment. Still serving its original purpose today as a Bank of America branch, the building has been sensitively restored in recent years, preserving its defining architectural features while quietly updating it for continued use, and reinforcing its role as a lasting piece of Palm Springs’ modernist legacy.

  • This brick interpretation of the iconic City National Bank at 588 South Palm Canyon Drive captures the key design elements of the original structure, as best it fits into the brick system.

  • A prominent blue tile wall houses the bank vault, while the bulbous rounded roof is recreated. Full-height windows along the north and west sides flood the interior with natural light, and the curved entrance wall stands out as a key feature. The second-story window on the east side is faithfully replicated.

  • Inside, the design features a teller window, conference room, and a lobby office that evokes the 1960s aesthetic. The large lobby clock is also included.

  • On the second floor, you’ll find offices, an opaque hanging art piece, lobby plants, and safe deposit boxes filled with cash in the vault.

  • This design includes both interior and exterior lighting, as well as a variety of landscape additions.

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Coachella Valley Savings and Loan #2

Textbook-worthy Architecture Archievement

Built in 1959, the former Coachella Valley Savings and Loan #2 building in Palm Springs is a strong example of the city’s mid-century commercial architecture and remains in use today as a Chase Bank branch. The building is generally attributed to prominent local architect E. Stewart Williams, who helped redefine how civic and financial institutions appeared in the desert by replacing traditional classical imagery with clean, modern forms. Designed in the Mid-Century Modern / Desert Modern style, the structure features a low horizontal profile, expressive roof planes, deep overhangs for sun control, and an emphasis on openness and transparency—elements intended to project optimism, trust, and climate responsiveness during Palm Springs’ postwar boom. As part of Coachella Valley Savings and Loan’s expansion, the branch supported the region’s rapid residential and commercial growth, and its continued banking use underscores both the durability of the original design and its lasting role in shaping Palm Springs’ modern architectural identity.

  • This brick interpretation of the Valley Savings and Loan #2 captures the building’s key elements, including the flat roof, deep overhangs, metal slotted exterior, inverted arches, and front fountains.

  • The first floor and roofline windows are also faithfully included, along with surrounding landscaping.

  • Inside, the design features expected bank elements like teller stations, a cash vault, safe deposit boxes, and a conference room, with offices located on the second floor. The spacious lobby showcases interior wood slats, mirroring the building’s exterior.

  • Reimagined semi-circular staircase originally part of the design, though removed during later remodels.

  • Note: This design excludes the basement and parking garage.

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Palm Springs Village Fest

The heart of Palm Springs

Downtown Palm Springs – often called the Downtown Village – is the city’s most walkable and expressive tourist district, where mid-century heritage, desert glamour, and modern creativity intersect. Set in the heart of Palm Springs, the area is defined by colorful storefronts and small, character-driven businesses: gem and crystal shops, retro and vintage clothing boutiques, art galleries, tiki bars, and souvenir spots filled with Palm Springs–themed trinkets. Architectural icons like the façade of the historic Plaza Theatre anchor the district, while tall palm trees, artist-painted benches, and street lamps with event banners create a strong sense of place. Those banners reflect the city’s cultural calendar – Gay Pride, the International Film Festival, the Holiday Parade, and Modernism Week – signaling Palm Springs’ identity as an inclusive, design-forward, arts-driven destination. The Downtown Village also hosts the weekly VillageFest, a lively street fair that transforms the area into a pedestrian marketplace of food, art, and local vendors, reinforcing its role as both a community gathering space and a first stop for visitors experiencing the city’s vibrant personality.

  • In my interpretation, the model has a large opening in the side of the build to showcase the interior of the theater, including the plush seats, velvet draped walls and curved movie screen.

  • The model has an added concession stand on the second floor to reflect trends in ‘less ultra-modern’ theaters at the time.  The lobby contains a reproduction of the original stairs and flooring, along with the small box-office.

  • Lush landscaping has been added around the building to tie it into the natural beauty of the desert.

  • In the final build, the geometric bays signature glass façade will be recreated using plexiglass and automotive stripping (not shown in renderings).  Vintage movie posters from the first year of operation will be seen in the lobby and second floor gallery.  The outside marque will show the opening night’s film.

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How I Work?

Ideas

Each project begins with observation and curiosity – walking around town, driving through neighborhoods, reading local history, or encountering a building that sparks a simple question:  Could this be recreated in LEGO® bricks?

I look at the architecture and imagine how its forms, proportions, and details might translate into the brick system.

  • Would the design be challenging to engineer?
  • Could lighting enhance the structure or tell part of its story?
  • Does the subject align with the broader vision of this project?

Research

Once a building is selected, I dive into research – studying its history, architect, floor plans, and original usage, often searching for vintage photographs and lesser-seen details. I visit the site in person to understand scale, context, and surroundings.  Lastly, I spend time trying to understand what can be engineered in bricks and what must be reimagined due to limitations.

Design

I design digital creations in Studio, a LEGO®-supported application, where I create the building’s layout, architectural elements, interior design, and exterior landscaping piece by piece. This phase often takes months and involves many revisions.  Projects are reviewed for integrated LED lighting.  I use the application to develop step-by-step building instructions, much like you’d see in real sets from LEGO®.

Procurement

When the digital design is finalized, I begin sourcing bricks.  I find pieces from public resellers.  I prefer to find used and recycled pieces.  I like the idea that these bricks with decades of prior enjoyment get a new lease on life.  Receiving and sorting bricks is a special joy that requires patience.

Build

Once the parts are collected, I build the project using my custom instructions.  Buildings of this magnitude can take several weeks to complete.  Once done the satisfaction is immense, but the work doesn’t stop there.

Lighting

Installing illumination LEDs is perhaps to most tedious and difficult part of these projects.  I try to conceal as much wiring and point sources as possible, which often requires deconstruction of the model in order to install the electrical components.  Sometimes minor redesigns are required and must be adapted.

Display

Preparing these creations for public display will require additional engineering—reinforcement for stability, custom stands, acrylic display covers, and reliable power sources. Final imaging of the finished project must be prepared for the website.  Each installation will include a QR code linking visitors to in-depth online content: the building’s history, the architect’s biography, and high-resolution imagery of both the exterior and the richly detailed interior—details that may not be fully visible in a public setting but are integral to every design.