Downtown/Midtown
San Diego
Site Name: Soloman
Apartments
Architect: Henry H. Hester
Year Designed/Built: 1959
Address: 3200 6th Avenue
Comments: Each of the apartment floorplans are individual adding variety
to exterior elements. Distinguishable block-like balconies become
outside rooms enhancing privacy from neighboring tenants.
Site Name: Crabtree
Building
Architect: Deems, Martin & Associates
Year Designed/Built: 1962
Address: 303 “A”
Comments: Light, fragile, floating Miesian box; its delicacy makes
this a classic product of the 60s. The pre-stressed flat concrete
floors cantilever from four central columns giving the building appearance
of floating.
Site Name: Tucker,
Sadler & Associates Office
Architect: Hal Sadler
Year Designed/Built: 1962
Address: 2411 Second Avenue
Comments: Still the firm’s office after 36 years. Reflects a
Case Study House program influence.
Site Name: Rubin,
Seltzer & Solomon Building
Architect: Deems-Lewis-Martin & Associates
Year Designed/Built: 1964
Address: 3003 4th Avenue
Comments: Detached Miesian box of offices floats above its garage
structure. The block is suspended over its site, with light, highly
refined details.
Site Name: Lightner
& Hilmen Building
Architect: Mosher and Drew
Year Designed/Built: 1967
Address: 3104 4th Ave.
Comments: Quiet refined solution to problems of locating an office
building on a busy street in a residential area. Reception/conference
areas are screened from the street with canyons and the San Diego
Harbor to the West.
Site Name: The
Design Center
Architect: Lloyd Pietrantonio Ruocco (d. 1981)
Year Designed/Built: 1950
Address: 3611 5th Avenue
Comments: A glass box in the pure Miesian tradition, but much lighter
than one finds in the work of the master. This quality of lightness
is accentuated by delicate extended sun trellises and sheltering fences.
Integrates interior/exterior landscaped space by use of glass and
open planning. Nestled amidst a canyon of eucalyptus trees, wooded
walks, steps, and trellises structures, each glass-enclosed office
becomes a tree house barely distinguishable from its neighbor by sliding
glass panels that roll open to fresh air and sunlight. Ruocco would
go on to inspire other great San Diego architects Home Delawie, Paul
McKim and Russell Forester (the latter of which will be profiled in
Mid-Century San Diego Part Two, the two met in 1942 while both were
Navy ship draftsmen).
Site Name: Union
Bank Building
Architect: Langdon & Wilson
Year Designed/Built: 1968
Address: 525 B St
Site Name: First
National Bank Building
Architect: Tucker, Sadler & Bennett
Year Designed/Built: 1966
Address: 530 B St
Site Name: Main
Post Office
Architect: William Templeton Johnson
Year Designed/Built: 1936
Address: 815 E St
Site Name: County
Administration Building
Architect: William Templeton Johnson
Year Designed/Built: 1936
Address: 1600 Pacific Coast Highway
Site Name: LKR
Medical Building
Architect: Deems Lewis Martin
Year Designed/Built: 1967
Address: 3260 3rd Ave.
Site Name: US
National Bank
Architect: Ervin, Raymond
Year Designed/Built: 1963
Address: 190 Broadway
Site Name: Hallmark
Building
Architect: Hope, Frank L. & Associates
Year Designed/Built: 1962
Address: 6th & Cedar
Site Name: Home
Savings Tower
Architect: Hope, Frank L. & Associates
Year Designed/Built: 1962
Address: 707 Broadway
Site Name: Kaplan,
H.R.
Architect: Richards, Sim Bruce
Year Designed/Built: 1954
Address: 905 Fifth Avenue
Site Name: County
Admin Bldg.
Architect: Detailing by Lloyd Ruocco
Year Designed/Built: 1933
Address: 1600 Pacific Coast Highway
Site Name: San
Diego Civic Theater
Architect: Ruocco, Lloyd
Year Designed/Built: 1965
Address: 1100 Third Avenue
Site Name: City
Concourse Plaza
Architect: Ruocco, Lloyd
Year Designed/Built: 1964
Address: Front Street
Site Name: Mills
Office Building
Architect: Ruocco, Lloyd
Year Designed/Built: 1964
Address: 4th & Nutmeg
Site Name: Parking
Garage
Architect: Tucker, Sadler & Bennett
Year Designed/Built: 1965
Address: Centre City Concourse
Site Name: San
Diego Gas & Electric
Architect: Wheeler, Richard
Year Designed/Built: 1968
Address: 101 Ash
Site Name: Mr.
A's Building
Architect: Jim Bird
Year Designed/Built:
Address: 2550 Fifth Avenue
Site Name: Burnham
Office Building
Architect: Frank L. Hope & Associates
Year Designed/Built: 1962
Address: 1555 6th Avenue
Site Name: Anthony's
Fish Grotto
Architect: Liebhardt & Weston
Year Designed/Built: 1965
Address: 1360 N. Harbor Drive
Site Name: Crest
Importing Co.
Architect: Scholl & Geritz
Year Designed/Built: 1965
Address: 2643 Fourth Avenue
Site Name: Dr.
Phillip Allen Office
Architect: Richard Wheeler
Year Designed/Built:
Address: Sixth & Ivy
Site Name: Shearson-Hammill
Building
Architect: Richard Wheeler
Year Designed/Built:
Address: NE corner of 6th & A
Site Name: Watts
Office Building
Architect: Lloyd Ruocco
Year Designed/Built: 1964
Address: 2970 Main Street
Site Name: California
Steel Building
Architect: Lloyd Ruocco
Year Designed/Built: 1965
Address: Main Street
