Palace of Fine Arts
The Palace of Fine Arts is a monumental structure located in the Marina District of San Francisco, California, originally built for the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition to exhibit works of art. It was constructed from concrete and steel, and the building was claimed to be fireproof. According to a metal plate at the rotunda, it was rebuilt under B.F. Modglin, local manager of MacDonald & Kahn, between 1964 and 1967. In the years 1973 and 1974, the columniated pylons were added. It is the only structure from the exposition that survives on site.
Palace of Fine Arts | |
The Palace of Fine Arts, 2020 | |
| Location | 3301 Lyon St., San Francisco, California |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°48′10″N 122°26′54″W |
| Area | 17 acres (6.9 ha) |
| Architect | William Gladstone Merchant; Bernard Maybeck |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
| NRHP reference No. | 04000659 |
| SFDL No. | 88 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 5, 2005 |
| Designated SFDL | 1977 |
The most prominent building of the complex, a 162-foot-high (49-meter) open rotunda, is enclosed by a lagoon on one side and adjoins a large, curved exhibition center on the other side, separated from the lagoon by colonnades. As of 2019, the exhibition center (one of San Francisco's largest single-story buildings) is used as a venue for events such as weddings or trade fairs.
Conceived to evoke a decaying ruin of ancient Rome, the Palace of Fine Arts became one of San Francisco's most recognizable landmarks. Early 2009 marked the completion of a renovation of the lagoons and walkways and a seismic retrofit.