|
SOHO President's Message
By David W. Goldberg
July/August 2022
 Photo by Sandé Lollis |
The People In Preservation Awards (PIP), now in its 39th year, is one of my favorite SOHO programs. Defined as “SOHO’s annual celebration of the accomplished individuals, groups, and businesses that have demonstrated excellence and commitment in preserving our region’s rich and diverse architecture, cultural landscapes, and heritage,” it’s an uplifting event. If you missed the original presentation in May, not to worry, you can still view the winners’ videos.
In previous columns, I’ve talked about how much the preservation movement has evolved since SOHO’s founding in 1969. This made me wonder whether PIP has evolved in a similar fashion. As I suspected, it has.
At the first PIP in 1983, five awards were given, four for single-family home restorations and one for a bungalow court restoration, the oldest a late 19th-century Victorian and the newest an Arts and Crafts house dating to 1913. All honorees were individuals who’d restored their properties. Based on an internet search—technology that didn’t exist 39 years ago—all the winning structures remain intact and are well maintained. A positive track record to say the least!
Fast forward to 2022. Nine awards were given but only two for residential restorations: the 1887 Graves House in Oceanside, better known as the “Top Gun House,” and the 1961 Robert and Rebecca Liebner/William Ivans House.
The carefully restored Graves House is a showpiece of the contemporary, Delawie-designed Mission Pacific Hotel, which opened in 2021. It received the Commercial Restoration/Adaptive Reuse Award. Adaptive reuse and incorporating historic resources within a larger commercial project were concepts in their infancy at the time of the first PIP awards. Now they’re mainstream. That’s progress.
The Robert and Rebecca Liebner/William Ivans House is an impressive—jaw dropping, actually—cantilevered Mid-Century design by Robert Liebner, an aerospace engineer, extending 58 feet over a canyon. In 1983, preservation focused almost entirely on buildings constructed before World War II. Anything later barely registered a blip on the radar screen. Not anymore. Now architectural styles as recent as Postmodern, which flourished in the 1980s and ‘90s, have captured the attention of preservationists.
The third award given this year for the restoration, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of a historic structure went to the Hotel del Coronado. Architectural elements and design features lost over time were brought back, and the main facade and front entrance were returned to their original glory. Project of the Year, this award also reflects an important change that has occurred over the years. The earliest PIP recipients typically were individuals or couples who were hands-on preservationists. BRE Hotels & Resorts, owner of the Hotel Del and one of the awardees, is a for-profit entity that strives to “deliver industry-leading returns for stakeholders.” That large businesses now understand the economic benefits of historic preservation is another big step forward.
A common thread connecting the other 2022 PIP awards: None were for the direct preservation of a historic structure. SOHO recognized cultural landscape restoration; preservation and promotion of our region’s rich culinary heritage and food culture; efforts to keep regional architectural and cultural history alive; the National Register designation of Inspiration Heights Historic District; and the preservation of two legacy businesses with deep roots in their communities.
In short, preservation has grown into something far greater than just saving four walls and a roof, and for this we are all the richer.
Now that summer is upon us, I look forward to seeing everyone as we enjoy our beautiful and historic city together.
|
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
|
