Last updated: May 3, 2024
Place
Balboa Park
Olmsted Archives
Quick Facts
Much like their father before them in Chicago, John Charles and Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. were hired in 1910 by the San Diego Building and Grounds Committee to design the landscaping plan for an exposition that would, hopefully, draw millions to the city: The Panama-California Exposition.
Though John Charles would take the lead on this project, both brothers studied Spanish Mission style architecture, prevalent in Southern California. Spanish Mission style has strong Native American and South American influences, with stone exteriors and red tile roofs.
For the grounds of the Exposition, the Building and Grounds Committee constantly changed their wants and expectations, forcing Olmsted Brothers to restructure their designs. The final straws that broke the brothers’ back was the recommendation that, not only should the entire location of the site be changed, but that a railroad should cut directly through it.
Olmsted Brothers were unwaveringly opposed to both changes, especially the addition of a railroad, because this would eliminate all possibilities of creating a semi-rural respite from a city. The brothers had learned well from their father, as Olmsted Sr. believed that was the main function of a large urban park.
On September 2nd, 1911, a telegram arrived in San Diego from Olmsted Brothers in Brookline, stating that “our professional responsibility as park designers will not permit us to assist in ruining Balboa Park.” Ouch. It appears San Diego’s leaders were so focused on the Exposition and the potential real estate development that would follow, that they couldn’t envision a time when people would desperately need open space.
Despite Olmsted Brothers’ self-removal from the Exposition and Balboa Park, years after the project’s completion, people still flock to Balboa Park seeking the same things Olmsted Brothers wanted to prioritize: open green space, fresh air, respite in nature, relaxation.
For references and more resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Flickr
Olmsted Online
The Cultural Landscape Foundation
San Diego