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California State Building Frontispiece

Item

Title
California State Building Frontispiece
Description
The frontispiece on the southern façade of the California Building in San Diego, California, was created for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. The façade is a complex concrete wall featuring an array of architectural figures, statues, and coats of arms, all embedded in molds fashioned by the Piccirilli brothers. These brothers were primarily responsible for the sculptures and busts depicting figures such as Father Junipero Serra, Philip III of Spain, Sebastian Vizcaino, George Vancouver, Father Luis Jayme, Charles V of Spain, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, Gaspar de Portola, Father Antonio de la Ascension, as well as the coats of arms of Mexico and California. The style mixes designs found in Spanish and Mexican churches and creating an iconic visage for San Diego.
Coordinates
1350 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101
Location
San Diego Museum of Man, San Diego, California
Note
The structure was developed in collaboration with Bertram Goodhue, who concentrated on the ornamental intricacies. Furio is recognized for creating sculptures at the San Diego Museum of Art that resemble these statues, and Attilio attributed the sculptural work of the frontispiece to both Furio and himself.
Abstract
The frontispiece of the California Building, now the San Diego Museum of Us, was built in 1915 for the Panama-California Exposition. The Piccirilli brothers and Bertram Goodhue developed molds for concrete. The design, inspired by Spanish and Mexican church architecture, has been a San Diego symbol for over a century.
Creator
Furio Piccirilli|236|240|246
Date
1915
Medium
Concrete
Subject
Father Junipero|Philip III of Spain|Serra Sebastian Vizcaino|George Vancouver|Father Luis Jayme|Charles V of Spain|Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo|Gaspar de Portola|Father Antonio de la Ascension|Mexico|Spain
Item sets
Memory Sites