Sunnylands
| Sunnylands | ||
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 Sunnylands Visitor Center |
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| Data | ||
| place | Rancho Mirage , California | |
| architect | A. Quincy Jones | |
| Construction year | 1963-1966 | |
| Floor space | 2323 m² | |
| Coordinates | 33 ° 46 '37.6 " N , 116 ° 24' 38.5" W | |
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Sunnylands (formerly Annenberg Estate ) is a 0.81 km² property in Rancho Mirage, California . It is now operated by "The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands", a foundation of the Annenberg family. Until 2009 it belonged to Walter and Leonore Annenberg , who used the villa, which was completed in 1966, as a retreat in winter. Located on the Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope Drives, Sunnylands has served as a vacation spot for many celebrities and officials.
history
Construction of the site began in 1963. The famous interior designer William Haines and his assistant Ted Graber were commissioned to design the rooms. The 2,323 m² building was designed by A. Quincy Jones , professor at the University of Southern California . It was designed in a mid-20th century modern style and is known for its pink roof. It was once the largest house in Riverside County . The entire Sunnylands estate consists of the main building, a guest house, three guest cabins, a private 9-hole golf course and 11 artificial lakes. When the Annenberg couple lived in Sunnylands, their large art collection was housed in the main building. Among the paintings were about 50 works by Pablo Picasso , Vincent van Gogh , Andrew Wyeth and Claude Monet . After Walter Annenberg's death in 2002, a large part of the collection was donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art . The property is separated from the public by a pink brick wall and is hidden by hundreds of eucalyptus and olive trees and a wide belt of tamarisk trees .
Prominent visitors
Many politicians and celebrities have vacationed in Sunnylands. US President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his wife Mamie golfed and fished in Sunnylands. President Richard Nixon wrote his State of the Union Address for 1974 here and was also a guest in Sunnylands after his tenure when he apologized to his successor Gerald Ford for the mistakes in the Watergate affair . Ford himself was also often visiting Sunnylands with his wife Betty Ford . President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy Reagan, were close friends with the Annenberg family, who owned the estate, and made 18 New Year visits. President George HW Bush hosted a dinner for Japanese Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu in Sunnylands in 1990 . US Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush also visited Sunnylands. President Barack Obama met here with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in 2013.
After the Islamic Revolution in Iran in the late 1970s, the disempowered Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi fled to the USA and was housed in Sunnylands. Queen Elizabeth II visited Sunnylands once for lunch, her son Charles was present several times for weekend visits. Other prominent visitors were Frank Sinatra (married in Sunny Lands), Bob Hope , Fred Astaire , Gregory Peck , Ginger Rogers , Bing Crosby , Mary Martin and Sammy Davis Junior .
It was the Annenberg's wish that Sunnylands should become a place for summit meetings and private recreation for national and international dignitaries of all parties .
Public access
Before her death in 2009, Leonore Annenberg determined that a visitor center should be built on a 0.061 km² piece of land bordering the actual property. The architects "Frederick Fisher & Partners" designed the 1,600 m² building, The Office of James Burnett designed the surrounding gardens. The center is open to visitors regularly and offers insights into the history of the Annenberg family and their Sunnylands estate. In addition, exhibits from their collections are on display. After the death of Walter Annenberg in 2002 and his wife in March 2009, Sunnylands was passed into the hands of "The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands". The Annenberg couple were buried on the site. Because a large part of his painting collection was donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City after Walter Annenberg's death, copies of these works are now on display in the Sunnylands Visitor Center.
Since March 1, 2012, limited, guided tours of the site have been organized for those interested.
Web links
- Official site of Sunny Lands (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f A Retreat for the Rich and Powerful Is Opening Its Doors to the World The New York Times , January 23, 2012 (English)
- ^ Leonore Annenberg dies at 91; philanthropist, widow of publishing magnate Los Angeles Times , March 13, 2009
- ↑ Obama and Xi Try to Avoid a Cold War Mentality The New York Times , June 9, 2013 (English)
- ↑ Marc Pitzke: VIP villa "Sunnylands": luxury shelter for presidents . In: Spiegel Online . March 1, 2012 ( spiegel.de [accessed August 10, 2019]).