House of Hospitality Reconstruction

Balboa Park, San Diego, CA

The House of Hospitality is a contributing historic structure to the Balboa Park National Historic Landmark District. Originally constructed as a temporary building in 1915 for the Panama-California Exposition, the design was completed under the supervision of Exposition architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, FAIA. The reconstruction is a replication of architect Richard Requa’s 1935 remodel of the original 1915 building. The current building’s use closely approximates that of the 1935 version and contains a large ballroom, food catering services, a restaurant, visitors center, several meeting rooms and tenant office spaces.

Several years of research was conducted by our architectural team to locate historic photographs, documents, drawings and missing features. Over fourteen design and engineering firms were coordinated as a team to solve a wide variety of technical issues, including how to fit in new HVAC and fire sprinkler systems into a highly decorated historic shell without altering the historic appearance. The project included removal, restoration and reinstallation of over 6,000 features of the building, such as doors, windows, light fixtures, railings, fountains, beams and hardware. Incorporating seismic design and disabled accessibility also posed significant challenges. The completed reconstruction garnered over 20 design and preservation awards.