Read Ranch & Coast Virtually Anywhere
Issue link: http://ranchandcoast.uberflip.com/i/1530951
W hen I recently toured the historic Botanical Building in Balboa Park, I had the feeling of being in a giant birdcage in a lush, tropical garden. e building's central domed roof, composed of wood lathe, soars 50 feet high, capped by a decorative cupola. Its interior is lush with greenery — 178 tropical and subtropical species from around the globe — says Jacqueline Higgins, a landscape architect and vice president of planning for Forever Balboa Park, the nonprofit committed to enhancing the park in partnership with the City of San Diego and the State of California. anks to that alliance, the Botanical Building is once again flourishing, more than a century since it opened. Built for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, the structure was envisioned by Alfred D. Robinson, designed by architect Carleton Winslow, and built by architect Bertram Goodhue, according to Forever Balboa Park. e landmark wowed visitors to the park during the exposition and has since become one of the most photographed on the West Coast. But over the decades, weather and wear took their toll. e building fell into disrepair due to termite damage, rust, and deferred maintenance. Now, 110 years later, the interior and outdoor fountains have been carefully restored thanks to a public-private partnership. In 2019, the state awarded $8.2 million for the project, thanks to the efforts of State Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins and Todd Gloria, then a member of the State Assembly and now San Diego Mayor. Forever Balboa Park, a primary partner on the project, raised funds for conceptual plans, renderings, and construction documents, and then donated them to the city. When construction began in January 2022, the precious botanical collection was moved to a nursery at the city's Parks and Recreation Department for safekeeping. For the past two years, engineers, construction crews, and botanists have been working together on the first phase, restoring the crumbling structure with its Palladian windows and graceful arcades, as well as updating antiquated irrigation and inadequate lighting. e building now has interior misters and water features, enhanced LED lighting, improved ADA access, and upgraded, flexible spaces for exhibits and educational programs about sustainability and biodiversity. Treasured Landmark e beloved Botanical Building reopens in Balboa Park BY ANDREA NAVERSEN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY VINCENT KNAKAL >> RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE JANUARY 2025 57