Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco

One of my favorite architectural monuments anywhere is the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. I find myself visiting this location every time I'm in the city.

Built in 1915 for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition the structure was intended to only be temporary.

However it proved to be so popular it was left standing long after the exposition thanks to Phoebe Hearst.

By 1965 the 'temporary' nature of the materials was evident and the palace was in ruins. It was torn down and rebuilt of steel and lightweight concrete. Later still it was reinforced for earthquakes.

Originally designed by local architect Bernard Maybeck the structure is a fantasy of Greek and Roman architecture.

 I've always wondered what these women statues were looking at!

 The detail work is still crisp and beautiful.

Notice the scale: it's so immense that people look like ants and barely show up in photographs! As always you can click on the photos to view them larger.

I wish these stepped planters were in use -it would look phenomenal with creeping vines, boxwood, rosebushes, etc.

You probably recognize the Palace of Fine Arts from numerous fashion shoots and advertisements.  I remember a lot of car advertisements from the 70s and 80s.

 The interior of the dome is no less grand.

Again notice the scale of the urns -the door to the lower right hand corner above is probably 7'-0" tall and has a transom over it.

The Palace of Fine Arts sits in the Marina district -a residential neighborhood. Those are some lucky houses with quite the view!

We were lucky to have a gorgeous day to wander around the marina and the Palace of Fine Arts.  It's rather remote away from other touristy areas so never seems to be too crowded in my limited experience.

If you find yourself in San Francisco make sure to visit the Palace of Fine Arts in the Marina District, you won't regret it!

Sea Cliff, San Francisco

 My favorite neighborhood in San Francisco (for houses) is Sea Cliff.

Located just down the hill from the Legion of Honor museum, seen below, the neighborhood perches on a cliff above the Pacific Ocean.

The neighborhood is beautifully landscaped and many of the houses you pass with a gasp: "It looks like a magazine shoot!".

 I particularly loved this entry above through a grove of Olive Trees - right out of Veranda magazine, no?

 This bubbling fountain was in front of another house with beautiful landscaping.

Many of the houses have private front yards with walls. I loved the tastefully quiet entry above: black door, boxwoods, beautiful lanterns.

 Suited to the climate many of the houses are Mediterranean style.

 Another great entry with olive trees, rosemary, and lavender.

This was one of the lone modern houses which I loved. Notice the sculptural trees surrounding the property.

 This French Norman styled house is super charming.

 A few of these houses which appear to be the oldest have side entries. Notice the ocean to the right.

 The side facing the street is discrete and symmetrical. I think this house is actually concrete.

 Many of these houses, even the newer ones like this above, have great details.

 Looking back you can see how these houses perch on the cliff, capturing that ocean view.

 This house had some amazing old Mediterranean stucco work.

 This house, inland, captures the ocean views by going tall.

 Many of the houses not directly facing the water have rooftop decks and pergolas.

California was made for outside living! Even the interiors here focus on the outside view. Of course you recognize the name Sea Cliff as houses here have regularly been showcased in shelter magazines for decades.

 This house was one of my favorites but look closely -notice anything unusual?

I think that originally this was a stucco house and at some point someone removed the stucco to reveal the tile structure. Notice how the bricks at the door surround above are normal thickness while the rest are about 1/2" thick - a thin veneer.  If you visit the Legion of Honor museum be sure to enjoy the views and some great houses by walking down the Lincoln Highway.

Legion of Honor Museum, San Francisco

While in San Francisco I visited one of my favorite museums which I see every trip to California, The Legion of Honor museum.  While on this trip I went primarily to see the newly restored Salon Dore and the coverage on its restoration, I was happy to revisit old favorites as well. (more on the Salon Dore in a later post).

This museum has everything going for it in my book; the architecture is modeled on the Hotel de Salm in Paris, the collections span everything from porcelain, Egyptian relics, decorative arts and paintings from the golden age of Europe, and the views of San Francisco and the bay from the hilltop location are stunning.

 The entry is a long procession between the gallery wings past one of Rodin's 'The Thinker' sculptures.

 Inside each gallery houses a different genre of art so there really is something for everyone!

Each gallery also has its own color scheme -the English Country house room is a striking red.

 One of the period rooms featured excellent natural wood and gilded boiseries.

The stunning Italian rock crystal chandelier dates to 1730 and was a gift to the museum from Madame Jacques Balsan, nee Consuelo Vanderbilt.

 I loved how the case protecting this lovely terra cotta lady allowed her to gaze upon herself in reflection.

 Rodin's works are to be found throughout the museum.

The most stunning item in the collection though has to be the polychromed Spanish wood ceiling from around 1500 - gasps are literally heard as one walks into the gallery.  Be sure to visit the Legion of Honor museum whilst in San Francisco!

Playing with Architecture

Where do you stand on playing with architecture; Akin to playing with fire? I don't mean quite the level of playfulness of Disney, but more like this little townhouse I came across in San Francisco.

A plain white stucco house but with some amazingly FUN grillwork; I love the use of color and playful shapes here. You know whoever lives here is definitely a character (in a good way!). Even these little dormers above the door, which I doubt are functional as they're so small, bring a lot of personality to the house. Playing with architecture has a fruitful history. Across the street from this very house is an example: Egyptian Revival, probably from the early 1920s. Don't tell me they weren't being playful! If you can't be playful with your own house, where can you?