Esalen Origin Stories: Architecture at Esalen

"Have Reverence for all Living things." This was a saying of Selig Morgenrath, the human who set much of the physical foundation, configuring Esalen structures into the landscape. 

"He was the man responsible for the initial vision," said Ernest "Buzz" Montague, an early Esalen employee who lived in the Art Barn and worked with Selig on a number of projects, including the Esalen sign and the Fritz Point House. "If Dick [Price] and Michael [Murphy] were the management and spiritual foundations of Esalen, Selig was the architect of the grounds and buildings."

Pam Portugal Walatka, who came to live at Esalen in the late 60s and into the early 70s, recalls that Morgenrath “established what Esalen looks like and set the tone for what it remains today" while simultaneously recognizing the complicated (often charming) personal and professional duality that typically arises at Esalen: "[He was] a gray-haired, older, grouchy genius — a brilliant designer."

Morgenrath came to Big Sur Hot Springs ultimately acting as a handyman, artist, landscaper, rock wall builder, and more.

"My grandfather worked at Esalen from the time that it was known as Big Sur Hot Springs until his death," says Kyle Evans, Selig's grandson and a former Esalen staffer. Today, a rock plaque set between the Lodge and the swimming pool commemorates that lifetime of dedication with his motto as its inscription. "The rock walls, the buildings, the baths, the decks, the pool all had been actually built or deeply influenced by him before he died in 1977," shares Selig's daughter, Tara Evans. "His involvement in creating [Esalen] was the teapot for the tea."

Morgenrath wrote a manifesto in 1975 titled Toward a Total Ecology at Esalen, warning early on of the "crucial state of the world ecology and the environmental degradation" — nearly half a century ago. He was "the person most responsible for the early move toward the ecological," according to Michael Murphy. "This was when no one even knew what that word meant. We had the first ecological seminar here. We had to explain what it meant. Arguably, Selig planted the very first seeds.”

Another creative and design giant of Esalen’s history was Mickey Muennig. As “the unsung pioneer of California's iconoclastic organic architecture movement," he had an incredible impact on Esalen — though reportedly Esalen actually changed Muennig's life first. The acclaimed architect originally came to California to attend a Gestalt therapy workshop, "which was how he discovered the stretch of California coast — a huge pivot for him," explained David Price, son of co-founder Dick Price and former general manager of Esalen. (Muennig was already "very established" at that time: "We can't take credit for Mickey's success,” Price quickly added.) 

Muennig would eventually be responsible for a number of architectural gems in the area: the Post Ranch Inn, the Hawthorne Gallery, the Psyllos House, the Pavey Residence, and many beautiful homes in the area. Muennig is now known as “the man who built Big Sur,” and his legacy includes saving one of the most treasured places on campus: the baths.  

After the El Nino storms destroyed the old redwood baths in 1998, Muennig conquered enormous challenges to design the current incarnation in keeping with his ecological style of embracing — never competing with — the area's awe-inspiring landscape and majestic views. Today's baths, completed in 2002, called forth "an elemental combination of glass, concrete, and steel perched above the surf," were built directly into the earth along vertical hillsides using concrete and sandstone for greater stability.

Another notable design shift transformed the Lodge and what was once the old Huxley meeting room. In 2014, it was announced that the Lodge would be renovated by Arkin-Tilt Architects. Change had not happened in decades as the core dining area design was initially built in 1939 by the Swedish architect Lennart Palme. 

Until 2014, the original Huxley was a meeting room located where the current bar sits. Named after writer Aldous Huxley (The Doors of Perception, Brave New World), an inspirational thinker for Michael Murphy and Dick Price, the space was elevated (physically and metaphorically) to a new second, upper level with increased size, expansive and porthole windows, a cushioned bamboo floor and geothermal pipes for heating. Always working toward sustainability, materials from the previous Huxley room were repurposed, including wood from ancient redwoods.

Today, as one walks the grounds of Esalen, the current melange of structures harmoniously blends into the magnificent landscape — a testament to decades of work by visionary architects and designers who shaped this sacred place over the decades. The built environment here reflects a philosophy: Each element is carefully constructed from natural materials — an invitation for guests to always feel at one with the spectacular Big Sur setting and to fully experience the regenerative power of nature alongside extraordinary shelters. Here, architecture becomes not just about physical forms but a channel for cultivating deeper connections — to self, to others, and to the living world.