By Frances Dinkelspiel. | Permalink | 2 comments | Post tags: … Continue reading »]]>

A view of the side of the new addition to the north branch of BPL. Photos: Frances Dinkelspiel

While the reopening of the north branch of the Berkeley Public Library is still three to four months away, its new contours are apparent. Construction crews have completed the building and painting of two-story addition to the building, which will house a new multipurpose room, a teen reading area, and a staff room.(...)

Read the rest of New addition to North Branch library almost complete (54 words)

By Frances Dinkelspiel. | Permalink | 2 comments |
Post tags: North Branch library

Just as with the new Magnes, which unveiled its new space on Sunday, BAM/PFA is to be housed in a 1920s-era 1939 building originally designed as a printing plant for UC Berkeley. It is located at 2120 Oxford Street at Center Street, in the heart of downtown.

Is it not fitting that, … Continue reading »]]>

The old printing plant in downtown that will one day be home to the Berkeley Art Museum. All photos: David Stark Wilson

Call it “beautiful decay”: these stunning photographs, taken by David Stark Wilson, show the interiors of the future home of the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAM/PFA).

Just as with the new Magnes, which unveiled its new space on Sunday, BAM/PFA is to be housed in a 1920s-era 1939 building originally designed as a printing plant for UC Berkeley. It is located at 2120 Oxford Street at Center Street, in the heart of downtown.

Is it not fitting that, as the demand for printed thesis, documents, books and monographs has waned, the engine rooms that produced these volumes are now being put to good use while remaining in the cultural realm?

(...)

Read the rest of The “before” pictures: Berkeley Art Museum/PFA (183 words)

By Tracey Taylor. | Permalink | 7 comments |
Post tags: BAM/PFA, Berkeley Art Museum, David Stark Wilson, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, WA Design

The building, which was … Continue reading »]]>

The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art & Life is housed in a 1920s former printing plant on Allston Way. Photos: Tracey Taylor

On Sunday, the doors will open to a new cultural institution in Berkeley. The many thousands of books, paintings, prints, textiles, and photographs that make up The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art & Life – which was formerly located in an early 20th-century family home on Russell Street in the Elmwood neighborhood — will now be readily accessible to the public in a beautifully renovated, centrally located 25,000 sq ft space at 2121 Allston Way.

The building, which was designed in the 1920s as a printing plant for UC Berkeley, was most recently used by UC’s Bancroft Library, with whom the Magnes now partners. Before that, the Berkeley Public Library occupied the space. Marks left by book stacks on the stained, maple-colored concrete floors bear the stamp of the building’s history.

The heart of the new museum is an open exhibition space featuring elm wood and glass, transparency and warmth being key to the space's design

The building has been transformed by San Francisco architects Pfau Long in collaboration with local design and fabrication company Picassa Studios. The goal, said the museum’s Director Alla Efimova, was to create a warm, inviting place with an emphasis on transparency.

“We wanted an open space with a good flow where the community could spend time discovering the collection,” she said.(...)

Read the rest of Berkeley’s new Magnes building to be unveiled on Sunday (718 words)

By Tracey Taylor. | Permalink | 8 comments |
Post tags: Alla Efimova, Magnes Museum, Pfau Long, Picassa Studios, The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art & Life

Original story: Mitch Kapor is no closer to being able to begin construction on his new home in the north Berkeley … Continue reading »]]>

The original 1925 home on the site of Mitch Kapor's proposed new home at 2707 Rose Street has been demolished. Photos: Tracey Taylor

Update, 01.31.12: Both parties in the 2707 Rose Street case, which went to appeal and was heard in the First Appellate District, Division 4, California Court of Appeal in San Francisco on January 24th, are now waiting to hear the outcome. In the meantime Berkeley Hills Preservation group alerts us to its website which contains full details of its case.

Original story: Mitch Kapor is no closer to being able to begin construction on his new home in the north Berkeley hills after a court date set for tomorrow, January 10th, at which opponents to his plans were to have appealed a December 2010 ruling against them, has been moved back 14 days.

Meanwhile, Kapor, the philanthropist and founder of Lotus, and his wife Freada Kapor Klein — who received approval approved use permits from the City of Berkeley City of Berkeley’s Zoning Adjustments Board two years ago this month to build a new for a 6,478 sq ft home with 10-car garage at 2707 Rose Street — have voluntarily agreed not to undertake any construction activities at the site.

The lot has, however, been cleared in anticipation of a possible build. The original home at the location, a 2-story 2,477 sq ft 1925 house, abandoned for many years, has been removed, as well as a garage at street level, leaving merely foundations in their place.

The Berkeley Hills Preservation Group’s appeal rests on the argument that the build will have “a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances” (California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines [14 Cal.Code Regs.]), and therefore warrants a CEQA environmental review — something not normally required for the construction of single family homes.(...)

Read the rest of Court date moved in next stage of Mitch Kapor home saga (373 words)

By Tracey Taylor. | Permalink | 49 comments |
Post tags: 2707 Rose Street, Mitch Kapor

Telegraph Avenue’s Sequoia Apartments building, seriously damaged in a fire on Friday, November 18, 2011, is a stately and historic edifice that helped define the character of Telegraph Avenue in both the early 20th century and in the 1960s.

Constructed in 1916, the 96-year-old, 39-apartment, building was part of an early 20th century development boom that transformed Telegraph Avenue into a bustling business and residential district.

When the Sequoia was built, Berkeley was one of most populous … Continue reading »]]>

An undated view, probably from the early 1960s, shows the Sequoia with the Cinema Guild theatre marquee visible at far left, on the commercial façade. Photo: Courtesy Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association

By Steven Finacom

Telegraph Avenue’s Sequoia Apartments building, seriously damaged in a fire on Friday, November 18, 2011, is a stately and historic edifice that helped define the character of Telegraph Avenue in both the early 20^th century and in the 1960s.

Constructed in 1916, the 96-year-old, 39-apartment, building was part of an early 20^th century development boom that transformed Telegraph Avenue into a bustling business and residential district.

When the Sequoia was built, Berkeley was one of most populous cities in California, riding a wave of suburb development and urbanization that had started with the construction of streetcar lines around the turn of the century, and accelerated after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire.(...)

Read the rest of The Sequoia Building: At heart of Berkeley’s rich heritage (1,205 words)

By guest. | Permalink | 12 comments |
Post tags: Amoeba Music, Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, Berkeley Cinema Guild, Berkeley civil rights, Berkeley counter culture, Berkeley Historical Society, Cafe Intermezzo, Cody’s Books, Edward Landberg, Garden Spot, Lucky’s market, Mario’s La Fiesta Restaurant, Pauline Kael, Raleigh’s, Sequoia Building, Telegraph Avenue

Work was needed at the top of the tower, above the carillon, and was focused on the steel plates that align the steel frame that holds the carillon’s bells, according to Christine Shaff of UC Berkeley’s Facilities Services. Water had weakened bolts holding the five-pound plates. Appropriate repairs were made as a safety precaution, she said.

The Campanile, or Sather Tower to use its official name, was completed in … Continue reading »]]>

The Campanile "dressed" for the Big Game. Photo: The Real Michael Moore

UC Berkeley’s Campanile has reopened for visitors after a two-month closure for repairs.

Work was needed at the top of the tower, above the carillon, and was focused on the steel plates that align the steel frame that holds the carillon’s bells, according to Christine Shaff of UC Berkeley’s Facilities Services. Water had weakened bolts holding the five-pound plates. Appropriate repairs were made as a safety precaution, she said.

The Campanile, or Sather Tower to use its official name, was completed in 1914 and is perhaps Cal’s most famous symbol. Visible for miles, it is 307 feet tall and is the third tallest bell and clock-tower in the world. The observation platform, located 200 feet up, provides visitors with a spectacular view of of the campus and the Bay Area. It is reachable via an elevator and then some stairs. (...)

Read the rest of Cal Campanile reopens after downtime for repairs (47 words)

By Tracey Taylor. | Permalink | 4 comments |
Post tags: Sather Tower, UC Berkeley, UC Berkeley Campanile

The street has been repaved, there’s a spanking new bike lane, new vintage-style street lighting and a wide sidewalk. A significant improvement is that all the street’s overhead power lines have been … Continue reading »]]>

All the power lines have been under-grounded at the newly reopened northbound lane of Piedmont Avenue. Photo: Tracey Taylor

Those of you who take Berkeley’s Piedmont Avenue regularly to get from A to B will be delighted to have seen that the northbound lane has reopened — and it’s much enhanced since it was closed off to enable the construction work being undertaken at Cal Memorial Stadium.

The street has been repaved, there’s a spanking new bike lane, new vintage-style street lighting and a wide sidewalk. A significant improvement is that all the street’s overhead power lines have been under-grounded. There is also a set of new bicycle racks.

Now, a sweeping set of shallow steps leads from Piedmont to Cal’s recently completed Student-Athlete High Performance Center. The center is tucked under the stadium, which is due to be ready to host a home game in September 2012.

Related:
Inside Berkeley’s newest, most discreet building [08.08.11]
UC Berkeley’s best work on renovating Memorial Stadium [09.09.11]

By Tracey Taylor. | Permalink | 8 comments |
Post tags: Berkeley news, Cal Memorial Stadium, Piedmont Avenue, Student-Athlete High Performance Center

Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.
Just keep going. No feeling is final.
Rainer Maria Rilke

The fire missed me that day. I was alone in my fiancée’s kitchen, up near the ridge line of the hills, drinking coffee and reading the Sunday paper. The heat and winds were unusual. Pine needles blew from the trees and whipped sideways past the windows. I noticed smoke in the distance, in a corner of the view to … Continue reading »]]>

The iconic figure of the chimney standing in the ashes became the central element of a new house. Photo: Kurt Lavenson

By Kurt Lavenson

Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.
Just keep going. No feeling is final.
Rainer Maria Rilke

The fire missed me that day. I was alone in my fiancée’s kitchen, up near the ridge line of the hills, drinking coffee and reading the Sunday paper. The heat and winds were unusual. Pine needles blew from the trees and whipped sideways past the windows. I noticed smoke in the distance, in a corner of the view to the north, comfortably far away and just mildly interesting.

But it didn’t stay that way for long. Soon I was packing family photos and boxes of files into my truck for an evacuation. When we returned hesitantly the next day, the house and neighborhood were fine. The winds had stopped before pushing the fire into our canyon — and that was all it took to separate us from the others. A mile or so north, there were 1,500 acres of blackened devastation.(...)

Read the rest of Loss assessment: Building anew after devastation (1,931 words)

By guest. | Permalink | 4 comments |
Post tags: Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm

In fact, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone lived in a William Wurster designed home in Berkeley — … Continue reading »]]>

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone lived in this Berkeley home designed by William Wurster until he sold it in late 2009

A new book and exhibition on the architecture of William Wurster, the co-founder, in 1959, of the College of Environmental Design at UC Berkeley, serves as a reminder of the desirability of the homes he designed. And Wurster homes do still come up for sale in Berkeley and the Bay Area with some regularity, so becoming an owner of one is not outside the bounds of possibility.

In fact, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone lived in a William Wurster designed home in Berkeley — until he sold it in September 2009 for $550,000, the same price he paid for it in 2006.

As one would expect, Stone tweeted the news that he was putting his home on the market, writing to his then 980,000 followers (now 1.7 million): ”We loved our Wurster cottage in Berkeley but it’s time to move – if you’re into architecture, check it out.”(...)

Read the rest of William Wurster designed homes are still in demand (291 words)

By Tracey Taylor. | Permalink | One comment |
Post tags: Biz Stone, Caitlin Lempres Brostrom, College of Environmental Design, Richard C. Peters, The Houses of William Wurster: Frames for Living, UC Berkeley, UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design, William Wurster, William Wurster's Frames for Living

On Monday, members of the football team were told they could not go into the locker room in the Old Gym to suit up for practice or to retrieve their belongings. Since then, the team has not had a place to change, store personal items, use weights, or watch films to prepare for upcoming games.

“It has … Continue reading »]]>

The Old Gym at Berkeley High School was abruptly shut this week because of seismic safety concerns. Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel

The unexpected and abrupt closure of Berkeley High School’s Old Gym this week has thrown some of the school’s athletic programs into turmoil.

On Monday, members of the football team were told they could not go into the locker room in the Old Gym to suit up for practice or to retrieve their belongings. Since then, the team has not had a place to change, store personal items, use weights, or watch films to prepare for upcoming games.

“It has caused a lot of confusion and it is having an effect on how we practice,” said one member of the varsity football team who did not want his name used. “It has a detrimental affect on the team.”

The abrupt closure on Monday October 3 came about because Superintendent Bill Huyett only recently learned of reports that the structure may not be seismically safe, and decided to take action.

“I am a very prudent and cautious person when it comes to student safety,” said Huyett.

Huyett was referring to an engineering study included in a 2006 environmental impact report that raised – but did not answer — questions about the seismic stability of the Old Gym. The structure was built in 1922 based on a design by architect William Hays. In 1929, an addition housing what is now known as the Warm Pool was added. The complex is slated to be torn down in 2012 and replaced with a $35 million, three-story building that holds 15 classrooms, a new gym, and a fitness center.(...)

Read the rest of Closure of BHS gym rattles athletes, angers parents (514 words)

By Frances Dinkelspiel. | Permalink | 30 comments |
Post tags: Berkeley High football, Bill Huyett, Old Gym, Pasquale Scuderi, Richard Boyden