FINDING SAN FRANCISCO PART VI: THE PALACE OF FINE ARTS

 

Although almost nothing of the original structure survives, the Palace of Fine Arts, even in its current form, is the only standing memory to the Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915 which brought San Francisco back from the ruins of the devastating earthquake almost a decade earlier.

Built by Bernard Maybeck to resemble a crumbling Roman temple, it offered spectators a quiet, cool place for reflection and observation beneath its encompassing rotunda. So popular was the place with visitors and the public that even before the end of the Exposition a committee (the Palace Preservation League) was established to ensure its survival afterwards. They were successful. After the Exposition left town the nine other palaces (dedicated to Education, Liberal Arts, Manufactures, Agriculture, Transportation and other industries) were torn down, but the Palace of Fine Arts stood very much as it still stands today.

None, however, were built to last beyond the event and by the mid-20th century the structural inadequacies of the Palace of Fine Arts were becoming obvious. A shaky mixture of wood, plaster and burlap could no longer stand strong and so the exterior of the structure was torn down in 1964. Almost immediately after, however, as in testament to the beloved presence it had accrued in fifty years, restoration began and the structure was rebuilt to its former appearance this time with strong concrete and iron beams.

The Palace of Fine Arts today is one of the most peaceful, elegant and meditative areas in San Francisco. The surrounding lagoon (built by the engineers in the style of the ancient world) has become a host to a variety of water-fowl and its banks offer the visitor a grand view of the majestic palace that remains an icon of the city and, given the spirit of the event it was created for, a monument to its resilience. Indeed, the very way the Palace of Fine Arts was rebuilt into its former glory after demolition is a parallel to how the city rebuilt itself after it was itself brought down in 1906.

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