HomeMy WebLinkAboutcc - Ulz (History Center MoU request)s
REQUESTING AN MoU FOR HISTORY CENTER EXPANSION
The partnership between the City of San Luis Obispo and the History Center goes back to
October 1954, when Mayor Fred Lucksinger agreed to work with the County and the board of
the San Luis Obispo County Historical Society (now the History Center) to form a county
historical museum in the city's historic Carnegie Library building. Funding for maintenance and
professional curatorial and administrative staff' would be provided by the county, with
oversight and additional services from the independent non-profit History Center.
Over the years, as the collections and programs grew, it became apparent that the History
Center needed more space. The City's 1993 Downtown Concept Plan envisioned an L-shaped
expansion around the Carnegie Library building, taking advantage of the adjacent surface
parking lot as well as a residential property on the Broad Street dog's leg.
Today, the History Center Museum, Research Room, and offices still occupy the Carnegie
Library. The city restored the building in 2000 and provides ongoing care through its Facilities
Maintenance and Community Development Departments. The county continues to fund
professional staff and maintenance, providing about a third of the History Center's budget
through an annual subvention, currently set at $100,000. The History Center board and staff
raise additional funds through donations, grants, and fee for service activities.
As part of the current Downtown Concept Plan Update and Mission Plaza Expansion Plan, not
to mention a growing interest in pursuing cultural district designation for downtown San Luis
Obispo, the History Center would like to begin actively pursuing an expanded campus around
its existing location. We recently worked with Cal Poly Professors Howard Weisenthal and
Humberto Norman and their students to envision what an addition might look like. Their
models were displayed during the History Center Museum's sixtieth anniversary celebrations.
We would like to develop a ten-year Memorandum of Understanding with the City for a
possible History Center expansion into the parking lot at Monterey and Broad Streets. It would
allow us to pursue master planning for our entire campus, invite community feedback about a
possible expansion, and secure funding to develop a multi -phase project plan.
There is an urgent need for additional space so that the History Center's collections, held in
trust for the people of San Luis Obispo County, can be preserved and made permanently
accessible through a new visible storage facility. Expanded galleries, offices, and community
space will allow us to better serve and engage with the public whose history we are preserving.
Whether we've been here for six months or sixty years, our shared histories are
the bedrock of our community. A strong History Center presence in downtown
San Luis Obispo will anchor its cultural core for generations to come!
696 Monterey Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
805) 543-0638 1 historycenterslo.org I dallidet.org
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ISTO-IRY CENTER
Adaptive Reuse in Action
Integrating principles of historic preservation
with the needs of a 21st -century museum
Seventeen second -year architecture
design students at Cal Poly have
developed proposals exploring a
possible expansion of the History
Center of San Luis Obispo County
whose museum, research room, and
offices are currently bursting at the
seams of the city's historic Carnegie
Library building near Mission Plaza.
The project not only included the
design of 15,000 sq ft of new building
space but also challenged the students
to respond to the historical context
of the proposed site that features the
Carnegie Library and an existing
historical wall of the Old Mission.
The display includes students' large
scale in process design models,
approximately,5 feet square each,
and unique hand drawn Axis Mundi
drawings, which allowed the students
to explore the building elevations,
plans and sections simultaneously.
Faculty involved with the project are Howard
Weisenthal and Humberto Norman.
1. NEGATIVE SPACE
James Nguyen
Los Angeles, California
i Using the notion and beauty
of negative space, this
addition takes the form of the
existing Carnegie Library
and becomes a hollow, open
version. It appreciates its
predecessor through mimicked
size, scale, and details, yet
does not overwhelm due to
its glass construction. All of
the program and circulation
surrounds the large, flexible, community -oriented atrium,
so there is always a visual or spiritual connection to the
addition and thus the original library. The surrounding
building will be dedicated to
historical conservation, visible
and accessible storage of
historical artifacts, as well as
accommodating a bookstore,
cafe, and outdoor seating areas.
2. CONNECTING
THROUGH CIRCULATION
Jackie Anaya
Long Beach, California
The focus of this addition is to
increase public engagement
with the Carnegie Library
through a community courtyard and central circulation
core. The idea was inspired by how the Carnegie Library
connects with the Mission and the SLO Museum of Art to
create a cultural hub. In a similar way, the circulation core
connects the administration,
the galleries, and the Carnegie
Library to create a fluid
transition between spaces.
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3. SKYBRIDGE
Emma Gracyk
Granite Bay, California
This addition to the Carnegie
Library in San Luis Obispo is
inspired by the view of Cerro
San Luis, a 1,292 foot mountain
towering over downtown San
Luis Obispo. The occupiable
roof serves as a public venue
for gatherings or events. The roof takes one above the city
and provides a straight -on view of Cerro San Luis -an ideal
location to watch the sunset or gather on a pleasant day.
The existing building returns to its original intent as a
library while the new provides a
museum for the public to access
and learn about the history of
San Luis Obispo.
4. FRAME
Troy Shafranek
Howell, New Jersey
Since New Jersey is a bit on
the flat side, the mountains of
California are a new experience
and a continuous source of
inspiration for me. The history of
San Luis Obispo is both
natural and man-made. It is important to show respect
to both of these aspects of the community. Both can be
accommodated simply by stepping down the height of the
library addition. In this way, the new building both defers
to the old building by keeping a less imposing profile
and also creates a viewing
corridor to Cerro San Luis in
the distance.
5. ORNAMENTAL TIER
Elissa Anderson
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Based on the different
ornamental pieces around the
neighborhood, I brought the
flow of old ornamental elements
into the circulation of a new age
building. Tiering the stories
makes the building appear to be
less intimidating and massive
compared with surrounding neighbors. The columns on
the first floor pay homage to the columns at the original
front entrance of the Carnegie Library. Keeping the public
areas in the front of the building allows for easier travel
through the spaces and keeps areas easier to distinguish
between public and private. The main rotunda staircase
of the building is the focus of the circulation and thus
design. It allows for a progression through the exhibits
and through the public spaces. The circular motion of
climbing the rotunda stairs combined with the liquid
motion of moseying through the exhibits echoes the
flowing yet ordered form of the
ornamental pieces throughout
the surrounding neighborhood.
6. GEODE
Jeremy Manarang
Benicia, California
This project was strongly
influenced by the existing
historic wall from the old San
Luis Obispo Mission. Intrigued
by the way many different rocks,
stones, and dirt essentially make
up the wall, the negative space
between the rocks is where the
idea for the circulation of the building has been drawn
from. This museum extension would greatly serve the
public with public events or gatherings, while also reeling
people in to explore and discover what the wonderful San
Luis Obispo Museum has to offer.
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7. THE DOWNTOWN
LANTERN
Samuel Witt
Gilroy, California
Pools of light define the
downtown nightscape and
shape the way that we as a
community navigate and
interact. This project reshapes
the pedestrian experience of
the existing Carnegie Library
by giving light to an otherwise
dark landscape. Furthermore,
it expresses the library's
mission to educate and facilitate
community engagement.
While drawing inspiration from San Luis Obispo's
nightscape, this addition also takes advantage of natural
daylight in key spaces like the Mission wall atrium,
to create a community -oriented multi -use space and
museum welcome center. The addition is built at a similar
scale to the library in order to blend with the existing
built community.
8. FLEXIBILITY WITHIN
CONTRAST
Tori Hertz
Los Angeles, California
My approach focuses on
contrasting elements throughout
the exterior and flexible spaces
in the interior. I wanted to
respect the original Carnegie
Library, so my proposed addition
never touches it; rather, it takes
elements from the original
building and surrounding
landscape and expands upon
those features. The end result is a mix of both curvilinear
elements inspired by the nature of San Luis Obispo and
edged elements from the surrounding architecture. The
connection is a courtyard space,
allowing visitors to easily move
from one space to the other,
gaining an appreciation of both
the old and new. The interior
doesn't have of many walls,
allowing the spaces to fit the
constantly changing needs of
the building. - --,
9. INTERLOCK
Amy Han
Saratoga, California
interlock /in-tar-'lak/ verb
of two or more things) engage
with each other by overlapping or by the fitting together of
projections and recesses.
Inspired by the site and its interlocking masonry, this
project focuses on the concept of interlocking. Just like
how individual stones come together to form a stone wall,
this project interlocks the different functions of the historic
center to create a cohesive whole that is greater than its
individual parts.
10.RENDEZVOUS
Amanda Yee
Honolulu, Hawaii
This project focuses on the
community of San Luis Obispo.
With a courtyard plaza between
the old and new buildings, and
glass doors that open up to
connect interior and exterior
spaces, this project invites the
community in to learn about
and appreciate the history of
San Luis Obispo.
11. RISE
Monica Mendoza
Garden Grove, California
This expansion of the Carnegie
Library focuses on the idea of
an equal experience in a "rise
to enlightenment." The "rise
to enlightenment" developed
Y from Carnegie's original idea
FAR
of a person's being elevated
to learning by ascending the
library's front stairs. Today,
this rise cannot be equally
experienced by all visitors,
but with this addition the rising experience can be
enjoyed by everyone, including those with disabilities.
The "rise" occurs through an elevating tamp that guides
people throughout the building, surrounding a core
of information.
12. CHANNEL
Lucas Johnston
Monrovia, California
This project performs as a
museum and also as an event `
space that brings together the
community as they explore the ~,
creek and the downtown plaza.
The event space will be used
as a place to have concerts,
showcases, and other large
group gatherings. The organic
shape of the building is drawn
from the flowing creek and the `,
rolling mountains around San
Luis Obispo. The stair court
in the back of the plaza will be
used as a small stage for events and gatherings. Visible
storage and rotating exhibits encourage people to continue
visiting the museum and learning about the rich history of
San Luis Obispo.
13. PIECES MAKE THE
WHOLE
Carolyn Geyer
Campbell, California
This project aims to draw on
the scale and proportions of
the existing Carnegie Library
in order to make informed
decisions about the shape
and function of the proposed
addition to the site. The
Carnegie Library is made up
of a series of smaller units (the
brick masonry, ornamental
details, interior spaces) that together form an integrated
whole which is greater than the sum of the individual
parts. In the proposed addition, smaller units of space are
arranged to create a unified whole that serves the needs
of the community in San Luis Obispo. This project also
addresses the current condition of the Carnegie Library
and seeks to renovate the interior to make the building a
better community gathering space.
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14. FUSE
Maya Nunes
Oakland, California
This project seeks to establish
a continuous gradient between
public and private, open and
closed, historic and new.
Discovered in layers, this project
creates dynamic connections
within the addition between
the new and the old and from
building to environment.
Through radiating geometry,
sectional variation, and material
complexity, this project draws attention to the historic
while creating new space for both personal reflection and
communal engagement.
15. FOCAL POINT
Katherine Seth
Honolulu, Hawaii
This project is about using the
past as a focal point for the new.
The spirit of San Luis Obispo
resides in its past, which is
housed by the Carnegie Library.
Because of this, all lines in the
new addition radiate from a
single focal point within the
Carnegie Library. Two glass
walkways slice through the
addition, lining up with windows
on the original library facade, so that even the farthest
reaches of the addition connect back to the history of
San Luis Obispo.
16. THE RECEPTACLE
Mitchell Rincon
Solana Beach, California
Andrew Carnegie originally
envisioned his system of
libraries as receptacles for
community, ideas, and learning.
The design of the new addition
should reflect these ideals
and enhance them within the
San Luis Obispo setting. The
Receptacle consists of two open
arms that define the entrance
and exit of the addition,
receiving the library, along with the aura of the entire
historical district. With this new addition the Carnegie
Library will once again serve as
the cultural center of the city.
17. EMERGE
Gabriela Molina Salinas
Monterrey, Mexico
This project focuses on the
transition from formal to
informal. The addition is
expressed through informal
shapes, to contrast the formal
nature of the library. The
addition emerges from the
Carnegie Library and adapts to
the functions required by the
museum and its users.
History Center News
Morro Bay, 1932 by Phil Paradise (1972.010.001)
SLo County Painters of the Past
In many ways, making and enjoying
art is the closest we can currently
come to time travel. Stand in front of
Phil Paradise's circa 1932 watercolor
of Morro Bay and be transported back
to a different era, before the naval
embarcadero was built or the power
plant was even dreamed of. More than
20 years later, the iconic "three stacks
and a rock" would be erected at just
about this spot.
Paradise (1905-1997) was already
a nationally renowned artist when
he set up a studio in Cambria in the
1940s. He donated the above painting
to the History Center in 1972 after it
was shown in Arne Nybak's Greystone
Gallery. It's on view now in Brushing
Past, a new exhibition at the History
Center Museum, open through June.
Other San Luis Obispo County
painters featured in the exhibition
include Cen Dallidet (1859-1913),
Peter Hermann Schmidt (1886-1974),
Elaine Machado Sebby (1928-2004),
and John Sykes (1859-1934). Dallidet
was the eldest daughter of Pierre and
Maria Dallidet, who built the Dallidet
Adobe. She attended art school in San
Francisco in the late -19th century, using
the skills she developed to document
the landscapes of San Luis Obispo as
well as her travels in Europe. More of
her work will be featured later this year
at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art.
Schmidt was a German landscape
painter who spent summers in Halcyon
during the 1960s, painting and
teaching. Sebby, one of his students,
was a third -generation San Luis
Obispan. Her work captures the light
and beauty of the county's coastline
with heartfelt intimacy.
Sykes was primarily based in Santa
Barbara, but visited San Luis Obispo in
the late -19th and early -loth centuries
to paint the Mission and Morro Rock,
among other famous local views.
April 2016
If you're reading this newsletter,
odds are you are already involved
in some way with the History
Center, as a member, a supporter, a
friend, or a visitor. Thank you! It's
no exaggeration to say we wouldn't
be here without you.
We believe that history is
the bedrock of community. By
sharing our stories, in all their
glorious (and sometimes messy)
complexity and diversity, we
share what it means to be a part
of San Luis Obispo County—
whether we've been here for sixty
years or six months. The History
Center's mission is to promote the
understanding and appreciation of
what makes us San Luis Obispans.
By creating and maintaining
resources that anyone can use to
collect, preserve, and share local
history, we hope to empower
everyone to tell their own stories.
So coming back to the part
where we wouldn't be able
to do this without you—your
involvement at the History Center,
through financial support, as a
volunteer, as a voting member,
ensures that the programs we
develop are good investments
for the entire community. There's
never been a better time to take an
active role at the History Center,
We had a great time celebrating
the History Center Museum's
sixtieth anniversary in February.
And we're excited about the
programs coming up later this
year. Our exhibition of historic
fashion has been postponed until
October, but I hope you will still
plan to join us at the gala opening
on Saturday, October 1.
Eva Ulz
Curator & Director
INTRODUCING
Our New Book Nook
at the SLO Carnegie Library
It's the perfect place to while
away an hour or two in a comfy
chair, browsing hard -to -find
books—many available for
purchase—about San Luis Obispo
County history. You'll also find
some especially rare and out -
of -print local history books in
the Yvonne Edmisten collection
and several binders reproducing
portions of the History Center's
historic photograph collection.
The book nook occupies what
used to be the librarian's office. We
plan to recognize librarian Frances
Margaret Milne, who served from
1899 until a month before her
death in 1910, later this spring
with a semi-permanent display of
her poetry. According to the San
Luis Obispo Breeze, "Much of the
success of the library is due to
Milne's] able management"
Page 2
Collections Crew Focuses on Historic Maps
The Collections
working to make of
maps easier to acce
to a generous in-kii
donation of flat file
cabinets from local
surveyor Cristi Fry
of Triad/Holmes
Associates, we now
have expanded
map storage
capacity in the
Archives Room.
This means
we can bring
maps from our
off-site storage
facilities to
the History
Center's main
offices in the
Carnegie Library
and better organizE
the maps that are
currently onsite. Tl
project involves bo
physical work of st
moving, and labelii
maps of various sizes as well as the
intellectual work of reevaluating the
information collected about each map.
Currently, researchers looking for
maps often must shuffle through large
stacks of fragile maps to determine if
any will provide information relevant
to their search. Our goal is to arm the
researcher with enough information
about the available maps so that they
can make this determination before
heading to the stacks.
Our selections for map catalog
information include region, description,
title, date, and publisher. The map
maker is an important factor in judging
the quality and type of information
contained in the map. Maps also
can be distinguished by the type of
information they contain.
For example, is the purpose of the
map to show land/property ownership,
transportation and other types of
Collection Committee members
John Schutz, Julie Moore, and Bill Pierotti
infrastructure, governmental units,
land cover, or elevation?
The first round of maps collected
from our Camp San Luis warehouse
were a reminder of the delicate nature
of paper. Unfortunately, some maps had
completely deteriorated, while others
had less severe damage. The work
we are doing now will significantly
improve conditions for the preservation
and storage of these maps, helping
them survive to inform historians now
and in the future.
The Collections Committee and other
dedicated volunteers will continue to work
on the maps throughout the spring and
summer. Email cindy@historycenterslo.org
to learn more or get involved.
Recap of Sixtieth Anniversary Celebrations
The History Center Museum's
sixtieth anniversary celebrations
this February were a grand success.
Our milestone was recognized by
resolutions from the City of San Luis
Obispo, the San Luis Obispo County
Board of Supervisors, California State
Assembly Member Katcho Achadjian,
and Congresswoman Lois Capps.
Members and friends of the History
Center attended two "birthday" parties,
featuring delectable cakes donated
by California Fresh Market of Pismo
Beach and Madonna Inn Bakery.
An exhibition featured photographs
and objects from the History Center
Museum's past. And we took over the
Mayor Jan Marx with Eva Ulz and Julie Moore
entire History Cehter for a week to
showcase seventeen cardboard models
created by Cal Poly architecture
students, exploring what an expanded
History Center campus might look like.
Carnegie Club members Libbie
Agran and Guy Fitzwater made an
extraordinarily generous $5,000
donation in honor of the History
Center Museum's anniversary,
continuing a sixty -year tradition of
community support for local history.
It's thanks to our county and city
partnerships, members, supporters,
and volunteers that the History Center
Museum has been able to survive and
thrive for six decades!
County Board of Supervisors with Eva Ulz, Julie Moore, and Jack San Filippo
isTORY,CENTEftSate1411L []tsrtirrl 4truil}
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Julie Moore
President
Roberta Soules
Treasurer
Jack San Filippo
Secretary
Chuck Crotser
Pete Kelley
John Schutz
STAFF
Eva Ulz
Curator & Director
Cindy Lambert
Collections Manager
Aimee Armour -Avant
Digital Projects Manager
Karen Petersen
Events Manager
Alicia Hightower
Assistant to the Director
Leon Koenen
Weekend Manager
Eric Van Keppel
Dallidet Caretaker
With Thanks to Our Many
and Mighty) Volunteers
HISTORY MUSEUM
in the SLO Carnegie Library
696 Monterey Street
Open: Wed—Mon, 10 am to 4 pm
closed Tuesday)
RESEARCH ROOM
in the SLO Carnegie Library
696 Monterey Street (ground floor)
Open: Wed—Fri & Second Saturdays
DALLIDET ADOBE
1 185 Pacific Street
Open: Fri 10 am to 4 pm, Sun I to 4 pm
Guided Tours Available by Appointment
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
805) 543-0638
historycenterslo.org I dallidet.org
Page 3
At the Dallidet Adobe, 1 185 Pacific Street, SLO
Free for History Center members, $10 guests.
RSVP to alicia@historycenterslo.org.
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History Center of San Luis Obispo County
2016 ANNUAL MEETING
Sunday, May`22, 2 to 4 pm
Guest Speaker: Jim Andre
Son of History Center founder Peter Andre
Join us for afternoon tea in upcoming projects. You must
the lush Dallidet Gardens. be a current History Center
The program will also member to vote. Please renew
include the presentation of now, or bring your renewal
the History Center's annual to the meeting. And look for
report, election of board your ballots coming in the
members, and a preview of mail shortly!
At the Dallidet Adobe, 1 185 Pacific Street, SLO
Free for History Center members, $10 guests.
RSVP to alicia@historycenterslo.org.
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THE WAY WE WORE
i0o Years of San Luis Obispo County Fashion
EXHIBITION OPENING GALA
Saturday, October 15, 2016
in Mission San Luis Obispo's Parish Hall
751 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo
Contact us for information about becoming a sponsor,
to donate an item or experience to our auction, or to
reserve tickets ($125) or tables ($1,000) in advance.
805) 543-0638 x12 eva@historycenterslo.org
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Eva Ulz
Curator & Director
696 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
805) 543-0638 ext.12 eva@historycenterslo.org
historycenterslo.org
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Cindy Lambert
Collections Manager
696 Monterey 5trcet, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
805) 543-0638 ext. 16 cindy@historycenterslo.org
historycentersly,org