The Palace of Fine Arts is about to be unveiled – for the fourth, and hopefully last, time. It has been a six-year process, but it was worth the wait.

In the fall of 2004, Phase I of the renovation began with the replacement of the rotunda’s domed roof and the repair of extensive water damage to roof supports.

The eastern side of the park was enclosed by fencing in August 2005 as Phase IIA got underway. This resulted in significant improvements to the lagoon, including the new stone edging and lagoon-side walkways. The landscaping was refreshed as well, and when the fence came down in November 2006, the park was welcomed back as the crowning jewel of the neighborhood.

Once the eastern portion of the park was done, Phase IIB was initiated. Starting in the fall of 2007, the rotunda and colonnades were seismically strengthened and other structural improvements were made. The beautiful restoration of the plaster detailing on the underside of the rotunda’s dome was also completed.

As the final step, Phase III of the restoration began on Jan. 10, 2010 with the western side of the park being fenced off in its entirety. After 12 months of work, the fence will be coming down on Friday, Jan. 14, 2011, and the public is invited to attend.

This multiphase renovation was spearheaded by the Maybeck Foundation, whose fundraising efforts helped finance the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department project. The Maybeck Foundation is dedicated to preserving the legacy of architect Bernard Maybeck, who designed the Palace of Fine Arts for the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition.

Most noticeable in this latest phase are the upgrades to the southern (Baker Street) and northern (Exploratorium) entrances. The southern entrance has been revamped into a much more formal plaza. Curved concrete monument signs and stepped planters flank the wide entry path, which leads to a smaller patio area just inside the first colonnades. The northern entrance has a similar feel, though at a much smaller scale. Jan Berckefeldt, executive director of the Maybeck Foundation, described the changes in a December walk-through.

“Maybeck originally designed the grounds like a house with a great room; you bring people in through a more intimate entry,” said Berckefeldt. “So he originally designed [the entries] to try to draw you into these staging areas, then draw you into the bigger composition – you turn the corner and there’s the big ‘aha’ moment. So if we look at his drawings, this is very much how it was laid out, even to the detail of a signature tree in the patio area.”

The main walkway still runs between the exhibition building and the colonnade. The informal walkways that ran at the perimeter of the lagoon also remain, though redone in asphalt to help prevent erosion problems.

“Beach Street was the central access of the fair, so you came from there – these paths [around the lagoon] were never there at the time of the fair,” Berckefeldt explained. “Again, that was part of Maybeck’s concept, because he wanted you to come in at the top of the berm on the eastern side. You looked at the Palace across the lagoon and then you actually had to walk along the street to this entrance or the north entrance. So all of the pathways [beside the lagoon] were actually put in later on when it became a public park.”

The landscaping along the exhibition building’s façade remains similar to what existed prior to the start of the renovation – even some of the redwoods that were removed have been replaced. The doors of the building have also been refurbished and given a fresh coat of paint.

Visitors will notice another dramatic change as they pass under the dome. On the main approach, medallions honoring Phoebe Hearst, Bernard Maybeck and Walter Johnson – the individuals responsible for saving the Palace of Fine Arts from demolition – are inlaid into the concrete floor. Under the dome itself, the paving has been redone in a patterned concrete based on Maybeck’s original drawings.

“At the time of the fair, it was never executed – they were running out of money … so we are actually realizing his original vision,” Berckefeldt said.

Now the Palace’s signature feature is graced with a floor as elegant as its renovated ceiling.
As you pass through the rotunda, there is a new circular patio at the back, facing the lagoon. Concrete benches will afford a contemplative view to the western side of the park.
The upper planters surrounding the rotunda have also been replanted to return them to their former glory.

Newly installed are six interpretative panels along the walkway that circles the lagoon. The informational signs help tell the story of the Palace of Fine Art’s history, architecture and environment from different vantage points. 

No further work is planned by Recreation and Park until after the Exploratorium moves out of the exhibition building in 2013, as the structure will need to be seismically upgraded and renovated for any new tenant.

Berckefeldt and the Maybeck Foundation are happy that construction is finally coming to an end, and proud of the many donors that helped them exceed their fundraising goals.
Neighbors and visitors should be equally thrilled to have the beloved Palace of Fine Arts back, better than ever.
           
The Maybeck Foundation and San Francisco Recreation and Parks are hosting a reopening celebration as the fence comes down on Friday, Jan. 14. Friends and neighbors are invited to join the celebration from 10–11 a.m. at the southern entrance of the Palace of Fine Arts at Bay and Lyon Streets. There will be music and refreshments donated by Emporio Rulli. For more information, contact the Maybeck Foundation at 415-474-0172.