Update: Palacio de Bahia Back On! 07/05/07
I have the most wonderful news! Recently, the Palacio de Bahía has been set back on course to be completely restored, and it's thanks to YOU! I couldn't be happier. This is our chance to save a historical landmark and make sure it gets the attention that something so magnificent deserves. With your contributions, we can ensure that this beautiful property will continue stand for centuries.
Please visit my site at https://www.informationblog1... for the latest on this project!
The Palacio de Bahaia is well on schedule to be completely restored. The images you see here are courtesy of Dan Jimenez, a co-founder of Dallas-based architecture design firm, DNR Architects. I couldn't be happier. Thanks to all who contributed to get this dream job done!
Here's a link to some more images of the site when finished. To contact Dan for more info, please visit: http://www.danjamesenrdrarchi... or email me at info@dallas-architectua... with comments or questions about this project. The palacio and its grounds will be available for tours during restoration.
Dan and I have posted a number of updates about the Palacio, including an interview about the history and future of the palacio. This article was published in the Dallas Morning News. http://www.dallasnews.com/... Thanks to Dan, we're granted exclusive access to this historical site!
Updates coming soon!
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Kevin is passionate about architecture and has been writing on the subject since 2007. He is also a copywriter for Kivitz Communications. He can be reached at a... View Full Bio http://www.kevinsanchezpress... or e-mail at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) .
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Reconnecting the city to the sea through architecture and design There is no better time than now to build a fantasy of a fantastical past. In fact, we should be doing all we can to recreate and rebuild our cities and towns in the image of their "lost" glory. The Palacio de Bahía is an example of how a restoration project can not only breathe life into neglected historical buildings, but reconnect our city with its natural environment by creating new pathways for promenading along our waterfronts. As you watch these images of the restored Palacio, you can't help but feel that it belongs here in San Antonio. That it should have been saved from destruction years ago. That we can still save other historical structures from the wrecking ball. Places like the Pearl Brewery, the Menger Hotel and even the old building at Market Square. In fact, the City of San Antonio has a pretty good track record at preserving its history - think Alamo Cenotaph and La Villita Historic District. What we need to do now is come together as a community and build a new vision for our city. We need to look at projects like this one an opportunity for creating a better future for all of us to enjoy. I'm talking about not just restoring our buildings, but rebuilding bonds with nature, creating close-knit communities and making our streets safer places for families to walk and play in. This is all part of what we call the Creative City, a walkable, mixed-use, multi-ethnic urban environment of densely placed homes and businesses. And, you know what they say - it takes a village. So let's get to work!
Posted by Paul Quinn at 12:40 PM No comments: Links to this post
New York Times Op-Ed Contributor and Pulitzer Prize Winner Jane Jacobs in conversation with George Will at the University of Texas at San Antonio
By Richard L.T. Lewis | Published 04/05/12 10:14pm A column by New York Time op-ed contributor Jane Jacobs celebrated San Antonio on its March 27 publication date. The column is titled "The Creative City" and references Robert Swisher, who with his mother Janice, has been a principal in the effort to save the Palacio de Bahía. In the 1970s, Swisher had discovered the property in San Antonio an tasked his friend Jane Jacobs with writing about its history and why it deserved to be preserved.
The Jacobs piece is beautifully written and frames its subject matter as a diverse group of people coming together with a common purpose: to protect their city from becoming bland. Saving the Palacio destroyed that possibility as it is now one of the most recognizable buildings in downtown San Antonio. Read her column here: The Creative City 6 April 2012 New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/20...
Posted by Paul Quinn at 11:14 AM No comments: Links to this post
By Paul Quinn | Published 03/31/12 7:48pm San Antonio is filled with beautiful edifices from yesteryear. Sites like the Alamo, the San Jacinto Plaza and Market Square are among my favorite buildings in any city. They don't look like much now but seem more royal and regal when they were built; standing sentry over our city.
But the Palacio de Bahía is one that should have been saved for posterity and now lies in ruins. The pink-hued building was erected in the early 1930s as home to San Antonio's first skyscrapers.
Conclusion
The Palacio was a symbol of when our city was indeed the Riviera of Texas , as the building jutted out from the coast like a ship. Now, sadly it seems more like a shipwreck.
In her column which will be published next month in New York Times, columnist Jane Jacobs will write about this very subject. Kudos to her for taking up Robert Swisher's challenge in writing about an old friend and the preservation of historic architecture by telling stories like this one for all to see.