Spanish Colonial Revival: The Legacy of the Exposition
September 20, 2014
Ione Stiegler is the Principal Architect and owner of IS Architecture in La Jolla. The firm has won many prestigious awards for design in residential and historic preservation, and the houses are often featured in San Diego Home/Garden, Builder and other magazines. Ms. Stiegler was inducted into the AIA of Fellows in 2012 for developing an interdisciplinary approach to preserving historically significant architectural heritage. She has been a consultant on many cultural and preservation projects where meticulous detail is paramount for surveys and preparation for architectural records.
In 2002 Stiegler and Vonn Marie May gave FSDA a lecture on the restoration of the Sykes Adobe Farmhouse and Grounds. Ione returns this month to discuss another style of architecture, Spanish Colonial Revival. This style received national exposure when architect Bertram Goodhue used it in designing Balboa Park for the Panama-California Exposition of 1915. It became a popular choice with its tile and stucco look in residential, commercial and public buildings from 1915 to 1931. San Diego architects associated with this style were Herbert Mann & Thomas L. Shepherd, Alberto Owen Treganza, Edgar V. Ulrich, Frank Mead & Richard Requa.
Stiegler has developed a niche in the historic preservation field. She can work in any genre and immerse herself in the details of any style—Spanish Colonial Revival, Italian, French Provincial, Cape Cod and Craftsman. While retaining the style, she adapts it to modern day living.
Ione’s most recent renovation is a 1904 Craftsman-style cottage, Wisteria Cottage, housing the La Jolla Historical Society. No details were overlooked in researching the intriguing history of this building, the remodel by Irving Gill, or the paint colors and materials used. The remodel included redoing the gallery space to meet museum standards, the addition of a humidity-controlled air conditioning and heating system, LED spotlights and special shades. The society is now showing off a new exhibit on the Mid-Century modern movement in La Jolla in a beautiful gallery space.