Palace of Fine Arts Rotunda, Colonnade & Landscape Restoration


We were honored to be retained by the City and County of San Francisco to perform Phase II restoration services at the Palace of Fine []

About the project

We were honored to be retained by the City and County of San Francisco to perform Phase II restoration services at the Palace of Fine Arts. As specialists in historic building restoration and environmentally-conscientious building practices, the firm took on restoring the Palace’s interior rotunda dome, upgrading the structure for seismic safety, repairing surface damage, and patching and cleaning the architectural elements, including the famous “weeping maidens,” as standard practice.

Nothing about this project, however, was standard. The restoration paid homage to the vision and work of prominent architect, Bernard Maybeck, and brought seismic safety to a structure originally built to last one year. It was undertaken in a dense residential district while the nearby Exploratorium remained open, with flocks of birds nesting in the adjacent lagoon.

The renovation was completed in 2008.

  • Client
    City and County of San Francisco
  • Architect
    Carey & Co., Inc.