A few years back, I was lucky enough to spend a few days wandering around Rome, and what struck me was how these *amazing* ancient ruins were right there, smack in the middle of town. How could the Pantheon, the Colosseum and the Forum exist cheek by jowl next to restaurants, luxury apartments and office buildings?
What makes a place like Rome so special is that the ancient structures are 100% authentic. They really were built 2,000+ years ago. A stroll through Rome is truly a walk through history.
So how should I react to San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts, a gorgeous piece of classical architecture, with its lagoon, pergola, rotunda, friezes, allegorical figures and colonnades…a site that would fit right in as a popular Roman tourist location.
Except it’s 100% fake.
I don’t just mean it wasn’t built during the Roman empire. No, I’m talking about the fact it’s not even made of stone. It was constructed out of plaster and wood and later replaced with concrete and steel. It’s like a movie set without a movie. It’s a big fat liar.
And yet I love it.
Originally built for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition taking place in San Francisco’s Marina district, the Palace of Fine Arts was one of ten palaces constructed for the event. Designed by Bernard Maybeck, the structure was designed to serve as a quiet zone where visitors could take a break from the crowded exhibitions and calmly view paintings and sculptures.
While the fair grounds were demolished once the exposition ended, the Palace was so beloved that the “Palace Preservation League” worked tirelessly to save the structure.
Over the years, the Palace has housed art exhibitions, lighted tennis courts, trucks and jeeps (during WWII), a park department warehouse, a telephone book distribution center, a flag and tent storage depot, and even a temporary headquarters for the Fire Department.
Unfortunately, for all its seeming classical stability, the original Palace was never made for longevity. Essentially, it was built in wood and covered in plaster; by the 1950s the simulated ruin was basically crumbling. In 1964, the original structure was completely demolished, with only the steel structure of the exhibit hall left standing.
The whole shabang was then reconstructed over the next ten years, replaced by a new building of poured-in concrete and steel I-beams. All the decorations were constructed anew.
In 1969, the former Exhibit hall became home to one of the City’s most-beloved museums, the Exploratorium, where it stayed for the next 45 years (before moving to new digs along the Embarcadero).
The Palace of Fine Arts hosted the second presidential debate between Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. It has twice welcomed episodes of Wheel of Fortune.
So no, it’s not what it seems like. It’s not an ancient Roman ruin. But the Palace of Fine Arts is still pretty fabulous, with its own unique history. I can’t think of a nicer place to have a picnic on a sunny day than on the grassy lawn opposite the palace, its shimmering lagoon alive with the squawk of geese, ducks and swans.
So what if it’s faker, a fibber, a big fat liar! It’s still a wonderful expression of creativity and a testament to preservationists dedicated to keeping history alive.
(I tend to think about architectural reconstructions the way I think about cosmetic surgery. Sure, it would be better if I could see the original “face,” but is the new version really hurting anybody? I assume that getting cosmetic surgery makes the recipient feel good. Who am I to tell them otherwise? In the end, if someone makes a life choice– whether it’s a job change, a face lift or a sex reorientation – and it doesn’t hurt you or anyone else — why judge them? Let it be. Beauty is both in the eye of the beholder and in the eye of the “artwork” itself.)
(Dave Blum is the creator of Dr. Clue Treasure Hunts, www.drclue.com, a teambuilding company featuring over 150 treasure hunt locations worldwide. He has visited over 40 countries in his 60+ years of life and plans to keep traveling until he gives up the ghost. Dave lives in Northern California with his wife, Donica, and their 18-year-old Maine Coon, Ava — an indoor cat who dreams of one day escaping captivity and exploring her own neighborhood Wow Places.)