Julia Morgan – ‘Architecture Is’ #1

by | Oct 5, 2014 | 0 comments

Hello Napkin Kin! Later this month I am presenting my drawings at an event put on by the Young Architects Forum of AIA Eastern Oklahoma, A Chapter of the American Institute of Architects here in Tulsa. The event is called CHiTCHaT 10 and it is 20 images, 20 seconds each.  So, about 7 minutes total.   Because of the nature of the group I thought it would be fun to create a few drawings just for the presentation.  I created a series titled ‘Architecture Is’ that had a quote from a famous architect that was being spoken by actual buildings. Here is #1. Architecture Is #1

Julia Morgan

The quote is by Julia Morgan, an amazing architect who built mostly in California.  She’s best known for having been the chief architect on the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California.  She collaborated with Hearst for 28 years on it. She built extensively around the San Francisco Bay Area.  Remember I mentioned recently that I stayed at an Airbnb location in Berkeley when visiting my daughter Chelsea?  Well, I was being given the tour of that house and was in the back yard when the host pointed to the house immediately behind her and mentioned it was built by Morgan.  It was just the back of the house and it didn’t have a lot of definition but I could definitely tell it was in that Arts and Crafts / Craftsman style she was primarily known for in most of her residential work.  I would have liked to been able to get in to see the interior.  The East Bay of the SF Bay Area has an amazing collection of residences in that style.  I think it’s more beautiful than the Victorian style you see more often in the actual city of San Francisco.

Some Firsts

Julia Morgan was the first woman to:
  • Graduate for UC Berkeley with a degree in Civil Engineering
  • Graduate from the Ecole Nationale et Speciale des Beaux-Arts in Paris in Architecture
  • Receive the AIA God Medal

Some Buildings

Here are a few photographs of her buildings.    
Merrill Hall, Asilomar Conference Center, Monterey, California - 1928

Merrill Hall, Asilomar Conference Center, Monterey, California – 1928

Asilomar Lodge Interior

Asilomar Lodge Interior

  Morgan built 16 buildings at what originally the YWCA Conference grounds at Asilomar. 13 of them still remain. It is a now State Park in California.  
Mills College Campanil (Bell Tower), Oakland, California - 1904

Mills College Campanil (Bell Tower), Oakland, California – 1904

  This bell tower was the first on a college campus in the US and the first building made of reinforced concrete on the west coast. It survived the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.  
Hearst Castle

Hearst Castle, San Simeon, California

  Julia Morgan worked in Hearst Castle for 28 years (1919-1947), only stopping when Hearst ran out of money and left San Simeon for good.  
Berkeley City Club Swimming Pool, Berkeley, California

Berkeley City Club Swimming Pool, Berkeley, California

  Indoor pools were very much in style back in the 20s and 30s. I stayed at an Airbnb place in Tehachapi, California last month that had one and it was great to swim in!  You can see it here.  
Sacramento house, Sacremento State University -1920s

Sacramento house, on Sacremento State University campus, 1920s

Sacramento house -1920s-interior

Sacramento house -1920s-interior

 
Residential Home, Presidio area of San Francisco

Residential Home, Presidio area of San Francisco

 
Redwood-Grove-house

Redwood Grove house

  Julia Morgan did an prodigious amount of work.  This selection barely scratches the surface. Do a google search on her and read up, she’s an amazing architect.   ____________________ Here are the other Architects and historians I’ve written about so far:   ____________________ Here is a poster of all four architecture drawings available via Zazzle.   ________________________

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