Address
3301 Lyon St, San Francisco, CA 94123
Year Constructed
1915
Year Retrofitted
1992
Structural Engineer(s)
Architect(s)
Bernard Maybeck, Hans Gerson
Media
Palace of Fine Arts
Palace of Fine Arts
Source: Wikipedia
Construction
Construction
Source: Library of Congress
Construction
Construction
Source: Library of Congress
Original Palace of Fine Arts
Original Palace of Fine Arts
Source: SF Map Consortium
Significance to Structural Engineering History in Northern California

The structure is one of the remaining structures showcased in the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition.  The iconic structure has been registered as a historical landmark of San Francisco.

Structure Description

The Palace of Fine Arts is an iconic Greco-Roman style structure located in San Francisco’s Presidio neighborhood.  It features a large dome supported by columns and a 1,000 seat theater.  The single-story structure was originally constructed of burlap-fiber covered wood and was intended to be temporary for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition.  The building was rebuilt and preserved with light-weight concrete walls and steel framing in 1962 under the direction of architect Hans Gerson.  A seismic retrofit was completed in 1993, including the construction of braced frames, strengthening of walls, and improvements to the wall-diaphragm connections.

Interesting Facts
  • Structure was built at a cost of $622,000.
  • The other two remaiming structures from the exposition are the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and the Japanese Tea house, which was moved down to Belmont, California and operates as a restaurant.
Related Event(s)