Neighborhood Field Trip - San Diego, Bankers Hill
I used to live a short jog from the Bankers Hill neighborhood near downtown San Diego and put together the following list of mid-century and modernist architecture places for a friend who was visiting.
The Bankers Hill Apartments, 222 Quince St, Architect: William Krisel, developer Corey/Ballard, 1963
Del Prado, 666 Upas, Architect: William Krisel, 1973
Fifth Avenue Financial Center, 2550 Fifth Ave., Architect: James W. Bird, 1965
The Fifth Avenue Financial Center, a 13-story office building opened in 1965 with Mr. A’s restaurant on the roof. It has a really cool lobby space.
The Market Place, 2601 Fifth Ave.
The Market Place is included primarily for its groovy font. I here the deli sandwiches sold there are pretty good, too!
Former Tucker, Sadler & Associates Office, 2411 Second Avenue, Architect: Tucker, Sadler & Associates, 1962
Salomon Apartments, 3200 Sixth Avenue, Architect: Hester & Davis, 1959
One morning while jogging in the neighborhood, I had a chance encounter with a former yoga teacher walking his dog. He mentioned that he lived in one of the Salomon Apartments and we arranged a time where I could drop by to see the interior.
The description below is on the Friends of San Diego website:
One of Hester’s most notable San Diego designs is the Solomon Apartments on Sixth Avenue across from Balboa Park. In 1958, Col. Irving Salomon commissioned Mr. Hester to design a luxury apartment building with 30 spacious units and a posh penthouse at 3200 Sixth Ave. The one- to three-bedroom units were showcased in a 1960 edition of San Diego Magazine. Selected by Salomon over John Lloyd Wright, the architect-son of the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright, Mr. Hester created an airy and free-flowing atmosphere with floor-to-ceiling doors and windows to take advantage of the views. When the complex opened it was marketed as San Diego’s “Most Distinguished Place to Live.”
The Salvation Army, 2329 Fifth Ave
I don’t know much about this building but I do know that I like the palms growing through the front of it.
Christian Science Church, 2442 2nd Avenue, Architect: Irving Gill, 1908
From SDAF OH! San Diego 2018 program guide:
This masterwork has all the architectural hallmarks of Irving Gill on a grand scale-the rhythmic series of arches, the unadorned white stucco, and the simple cubist massing.
Upon completion, the mayor at the time was so impressed, he included it on his list of 'must-sees' for visiting dignitaries. After a misdirected 1950's remodel, the building underwent a full restoration in 1998 to return the church to its original glory.
Design Center, 3611 Fifth Avenue, Architect: Lloyd Ruocco, 1949
From the SDAF OH! San Diego 2020 program:guide:
The Design Center is constructed of primarily redwood and glass, a style reminiscent of many of Ruocco’s early designs. Its open floor plans and rectilinear structures are hallmarks of the California Modern style, a style he himself pioneered. The openness of design and extensive use of glass reflects Ruocco’s sensitivity for a built environment’s relationship with the outdoors – a trademark of some of his most notable designs.