Building destruction in London

The riots in London have destroyed several Victorian era buildings. It is rare to see anyone write about buildings during times of human violence but this article is very well written and points to what the destruction of buildings might represent. Enjoy article here.

Albion Castle for sale

The Albion Castle in Hunters Point is for sale for 1.1 million. Anyone in the market for an eccentric landmark should check this out.

Writing about music is like dancing about architecture

I heard this quote on the radio several months ago. Apparently no one is really sure who to attribute it to. I don't necessarily agree with the quote but I like the idea of "dancing about architecture".

First Architectural Model

In honor of the 450th Anniversary of St. Basil's Cathedral (also being celebrated on Google's homepage today) I am posting a picture of my first architectural model. Why a ten year old girl in California decided to build a cardboard model of St Basil's at the end of the Cold War, I don't know. But I do remember a sense of awe that a building could be so whimsical and fantastic.

FLW Gas Station to restore signage

The only gas station designed by Frank Lloyd Wright is getting some of it's signage restored. The R. W. Lindholm service station opened in 1958 in Cloquet, Minnesota and the sign has been in storage since it was taken down years ago. Check out the full article.

Upcoming Events

Several fun events are coming up. This week is the second Contemporary Historians at the Presidio Lecture. The first lecture was on May 11th by Frank Matero of the University of Pennsylvania. It was a fascinating look at his work in Egypt. This week it will be Richard White of Stanford University talking about the history of the transcontinental railroads, on June 16th at 6:30, located at the Golden Gate Club.
The second event is sponsored by WCAPT. It will be a behind the scenes tour of the Diego Rivera frescoes in San Francisco, on Friday June 24th. For more information click here.

Juana Briones House is being deconstructed

The Juana Briones House is being deconstructed. That so significant a building is disappearing is disheartening. Several groups are in the process of trying to raise enough money to buy the deconstructed materials so that it can be reconstructed on a separate site. Hardly a good solution, it is all that can be done. For more information on how to get involved please contact Scott Smithwick. (president@pastheritage.org)

Balancing Historic Preservation

Yesterday the Land Use Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors heard four hours of testimony in regards to "the impact of historic preservation on other city policies." Supervisor Wiener is fascinated with the topic and apparently thinks he can come up with a better process than the one that has been developed over the last 75 years. This was my public comment:

I believe that historic preservation impacts other city policies by strengthening them. The process of historic preservation leads to informed decisions.

For example the Palace of Fine Arts Restoration project began with an historic preservation report. That report provided factual information about the history and existing condition of the structure. The report was used to make decisions concerning open space, animal and plant life, seismic and pedestrian safety and accessibility. It was used to acquire funds from private donors and ultimately it led to the return of revenues as a popular wedding venue.

Historic preservation strengthens other city policies but where it lies in the balance will always change depending on the project. The Board of Supervisors must redetermine that balance of policies for every project based on the knowledge provided by your local preservation professional.

One more reason for Historic Preservation

In a month or so the City of San Francisco will hold a discussion on Historic Preservation. Supervisor Scott Wiener has asked, very publicly, "what is the point?" I'm sure he will get a lot of reasons for historic preservation. This article in the Chicago Tribune points to one reason that should convince the most skeptical. Artspace has received $27 million in tax credits to rehabilitate two dilapidated buildings to house artists and studios at low cost. Theses cities will receive low cost housing, vibrant buildings and art because of historic preservation.

Paul Williams building may lose murals

Fascinating article in the LA Times. Murals from the Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building designed by african american architect, Paul Williams, may be sold to the Smithsonian. The murals were painted by Charles Alston and Hale Woodruff and completed in 1949. Read the article here.  

Art Project by Google

Art Project, powered by Google is a fantastic website. Recently launched, the website uses the Street View technology to allow users to visit museums virtually. No crowds, no fees, just art. They have museums like the Uffizi in Florence and the National Gallery in London. I expect this is just the beginning.

Tonight

Heritage YP is holding it's monthly gathering at District (216 Townsend) tonight at 6:30. See you there.

Happy Hour Tonight

Tonight Heritage YP and APA Young Planners Group are having a meet and greet at Tosca Cafe in North Beach from 6:30pm to 8pm. See you there.

Today in history

On January 11th, 1787, William Herschel discovered two moons orbiting Uranus. He actually discovered the planet itself several years previously. After his death, his son named the two moons after the characters in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Oberon and Titania. Herschel built his own telescopes, including the one pictured that was forty feet long.

Versailles rehabilitation project

Today NPR featured a short report on a rehabilitation project at the Palace of Versailles, in France. The project involves transforming the Hotel du Grand Controle, where the king's treasurer resided, into a luxury hotel. France is starting to rely more and more heavily on private investors to restore and maintain their national heritage. I am curious to see photos of the project when it is done. This is what it looks like now.

The One Percent

Soon after I founded my business I signed up to participate in the 1% program. The idea is that if all Architecture firms donated 1% of their time probono then good design would become less of a luxury. This morning I received in the mail a copy of The Power of Probono as a thank for being part of the program. I look forward to reading it.

Another reason for preservation regulations - Mecca

I can't say I like many of the articles that Nicolai Ouroussoff writes for the New York Times, however his most recent article about development around Mecca is worth reading. Preservation regulations are, perhaps, the most openly disliked of all rules. But look at what happens when those preservation standards are not enforced. Mecca is the most holy location in the Muslim religion and yet the government has allowed enormous towers to be built overlooking the Sacred Mosque. This is an extreme example of what people will do when preservation guidelines are not in place. And while a few people will profit from the towers, an entire community loses. The biggest loss is the pristine views of the hills from the Mosque as Muhammad would have seen them; a direct connection to the spiritual. Ouroussoff, of course, never mentions the benefits of preservation in his article which is where some of the problem lies. It would be nice to assume that architects will always "do the right thing", but that is obviously unrealistic.

Happy New Year

May 2011 be filled with creative reuse projects!