By: Kyrie Sismaet By: Kyrie Sismaet | July 13, 2022 | Travel & Recreation, Architecture, Culture, Neighborhoods, Venues, Art, Local,
Many architectural feats define San Francisco and gloriously capture the city’s ingenuity and charm, and aside from the Golden Gate Bridge and Sutro Baths, the Palace of Fine Arts is truly at the top.
Whether you are a local, or it’s your first time visiting this magnificently resplendent structure, visiting its Roman columns and iconic dome will impress and astound you every time. Located on 3601 Lyon Street near the Marina and Presidio, the Palace of Fine Arts is a must-visit for its towering brilliance, only amplified by its even more unbelievable history.
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Commissioned for the new century’s globally extravagant Panama-Pacific International Exposition on February 20, 1915, designer and California Bernard Maybeck truly wanted a structure that would capture the splendor of both the new Panama Canal and of San Francisco’s resilience after the 1906 earthquake.
Taking inspiration from Roman and Greek aesthetics, as well as a famous Piranesi engraving, Maybeck dedicated a mini city to idealize “the mortality of grandeur and the vanity of human wishes.” A palace was then constructed, incorporating a Roman-style rotunda raised and surrounded by a colonnade with imposing pillars.
The immense pillars themselves were further adorned with opulent and intriguing statues of weeping women by sculptor Ulric Ellerhusen which subtly reflected the city’s prior devastation.
The faire itself was a brilliant enlightenment of global art and culture, utilizing the newly finished exhibition halls to showcase such works, including a mural on the underside of the dome by Robert Reed that conceptualized the birth of art.
When the Panama-Pacific Exhibition ended in 1916, all surrounding temporary structures were demolished, with the Palace, being conceived also as a fleeting space, to be destroyed as well. Due to its incredibly popular demand however, the Palace was conserved with funding from Philanthropist Phoebe Apperson Hearst, and its lavish exhibition halls continued to host art, tennis courts, the Fire Department, and more throughout the years.
Because of the Palace’s initial temporary purpose though, its infrastructure began to degrade and actualize into ruins. The palace was thoroughly demolished and marvelously rebuilt in 1965, then becoming the new home for the Exploratorium in 1969 until 2013.
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Currently the Palace of Fine Arts stands as an overwhelmingly scenic spectacle for people of all ages to wander and become inspired by. There is a bucolic air of prestige here, as stepping in and gazing up at the striking filigree will fill you with a sense of wonder and admiration.
This legendary site is not only a historical achievement, but also as a true testament to San Francisco’s enduring creativity and perseverance for its devoted community.
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Photography by: H Kamran/Unsplash