Palace of Fine Arts (Landmark #1064)! - The Bill Beaver Project

What the Plaque/Guide Says:

The Palace of Fine Arts consists of a building and four structures in a park in the Marina District in San Francisco. Originally conceived in 1913 for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition and completed in 1913, designed by architect Bernard Maybeck as a forgotten and overgrown Roman ruin. Intended as a temporary installation, the citizens of San Francisco engaged in heroic efforts to retain the Palace, the only surviving building of the 1915 exhibition. The Palace quickly became recognized as one of California’s most beautiful buildings, despite its lack of function and temporary nature. A long-term project, planned in the 1950s and begun in the 1960s, reconstructed the Palace in its current permanent form, a project completed in 1974.

More about California Historical Landmark #1064:

After the catastrophic fire of 1906, the city of San Francisco was ready for a comeback, and there was no better chance to show off a grand rebirth than to host the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, celebrating the completion of the Panama Canal the year before. Despite competition from New Orleans and Washington, DC, San Francisco won out as the venue of choice for this world fair!

Placed between the Presidio and the Palaces of Food Products and Education & Social Economy, the Palace of Fine Arts was the responsibility of Bernard Maybeck, born in New York and educated at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris! Mentor of Julia Morgan and designer of the Outdoor Art Club, he took his inspiration for the palace from an engraving of Roman ruins by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, then adorned them with the Priestesses of Culture and small monograms of “AM” for his wife, Annie! Ironically, this “ruin” was so enchanting that the city decided to reconstruct the temporary structure as a permanent monument, a stark contrast to the destruction of New York’s Pennsylvania Station during this time. Today, the Palace of Fine Arts serves as an event space!

How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?

Become a member of the San Francisco Historical Society!
Donate to the San Francisco Historical Society!
Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!