Dodek Salon – 2025.04.03

April 3, 2025 from 3:00pm–6:00pm

Private Salon
Presented by the West Coast Modern League
in collaboration with Penny Mitchell and the Dodek family

An afternoon of art, architecture, and conversation at Ron Thom’s award-winning 1958 Dodek House.

Dodek House, built in 1957-58, was designed for Morton and Irene Dodek. During a futile search for a new home, the young couple, on the recommendation of an electrician they knew, enlisted the inventive Ron Thom to create a home tailored to their needs. Thom, whose work was heavily influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright, gave them an education on design and building, and delivered to them an L-shaped home in plan, anchored by a gargantuan brick fireplace, which would later become a U-shaped home around a lush courtyard following an addition in 1967. The design, praised for its “delicate restraint, consistency of detail, and its excellent plan,” received the Architectural Institute of British Columbia Award of Honour in 1960. Recognized for its seamless indoor-outdoor integration, Japanese-influenced detailing, and emphasis on suburban privacy, it was designated a heritage building in 2005 for its cultural significance.

The League, with Penny Mitchell and the Dodek family, invited members of the design community to join us for an exclusive opportunity to experience this exceptional work of Ron Thom’s prior to being listed on the market for the first time in its history. The event featured live music and remarks by Adele Weder, author of Ron Thom, Architect: The Life of a Creative Modernist and founder of the West Coast Modern League.