SPANISH REVIVAL
This month I'm off to Hearst Castle. Lucky me!
If you've never been- you really need to visit at least once in your lifetime. Spiring out of the hills above San Simeon and overlooking some of the most amazing California coastline, in it's time, Hearst Castle was possibly the most famous residence on the West Coast- all 90,000 SF of it. It also happens to be one of the most famous, if not over-the-top, examples of Spanish Revival, as envisioned by William Randolph Hearst and the amazing Julia Morgan.
Tilevera recently launched an extensive series of tiles inspired by this remarkable landmark. It's been a tile designer's dream-come-true. Imagine being asked to get that up-close and personal with that much art and history? So it only seemed appropriate to offer an up-close and personal deconstruct of this newly re-emerging style trend - Spanish Revival.
HISTORY LESSON
apologies for this - but while doing my research, I found all this interesting information on how this trend ever materialized. So I really wanted to share it -
For instance, did you know that Spanish Revival was first introduced to the world as an architectural trend by the Panama-California exposition in 1915?
Seems the Panama Canal was just opening and San Diego was celebrating as one of the first recipient ports.
Also there are claims from some historians that WWI influenced the phenomenon, as students of architecture -usually traveling abroad to study Central European architecture- were forced to travel to war-free Iberia where they found examples of Spanish Colonial. Isn't history fascinating??
The Elements
So now there are these architects of the expo in San Diego who are feeling all inspired by the Spanish influences of the Spanish Colonial architecture along with the more recent Mission Revival period from the Mission tradition in California.
Mission Revival was a popular trend just prior to Spanish Revival. Not quite as eclectic or ornamental, this style was influenced by the Spanish Missions of California.
When they added some Spanish Baroque, Moorish, and Gothic influences, what emerged was this sort of eccentric mix of styles that could also be a bit informal. Actually, it sounds like a hodge-podge, but when you get it right it's a really good hodge-podge.
But I should also mention (since we are in the midst of a history lesson) that some historians have been critical of this style stating that Spanish Revival was merely a poor bill of goods sold to those seeking to reinvent themselves in the reinvented lands of California. That it isn't actually a style based on a cultural development but a style based on a cultural sell-out.
Whoa, I suppose I can see where they're coming from. But I prefer to enjoy the good examples of this architectural trend along with all the elements that have made them so worthwhile.
For example, tile roofs, stucco, elaborate tilework (!), relief ornamentation, and wrought iron grill-work.
Any combination of a few of these elements will get you a tad bit of Spanish Revival happening for your own project. But, add a grand ornamented entrance,
a tower, some columns and balustrades, balconies, covered porches, and there you have it.
So tune in tomorrow for - Part II - and I'll have some great images of how all of these elements - or some - can come together to create Spanish Revival in it's traditional best as well as some wonderful influences on more modern spaces.