By Christa Vragel
In a long career, David Raphael Singer established himself as an architect who received awards for designs across a wide scope of projects in the residential, commercial, and institutional fields. A resident of La Jolla for 45 years, he was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied architecture under Louis Kahn.
Mr. Singer may have been best known for his non-profit institutional projects. In Balboa Park, his office designed both the original and the current iterations of the Museum of Photographic Arts; also, the San Diego Art Institute. Another high-profile project was the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego’s original downtown space, with an adjacent trolley stop. In the Del Cerro neighborhood, David designed San Diego’s Temple Emanu-El. Closer to home, he did renovations and additions to the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library in La Jolla.
His office also designed numerous homes throughout San Diego, but in La Jolla in particular. These ranged from modest renovations and additions to new contemporary houses. David approached each project openly, letting the site constraints and client’s programmatic desires dictate his design approach. Natural light and ventilation, simplicity, and a sense of place were also important factors in his designs.
David died at his home in La Jolla after a long battle with multiple myeloma on May 1, 2014. He was 76 years old. David Raphael Singer was admired as an architect both by his colleagues and associates, and by the wider community. To San Diego and La Jolla, he gave lasting designs that responded to their natural and urban settings.