At the Ferry Plaza Market this past Saturday:
CurbedSF: Did you ever meet Angus Sweeney?
Eminent SF Architect: No. He used to do all of the Archdiocese work.
CurbedSF: He also designed the original Stonestown. So was he the local firm for Belluschi and Nervi on the Cathedral? There's a house for sale out in St. Francis Wood he designed. The realtor is advertising it as by the architect of St. Mary's Cathedral.
Eminent SF Architect: He did the original designs for the new cathedral, which came under attack by Allan Temko. Sweeney got pushed aside in favor of Belluschi. It was one of Temko's most successful battles. Whether the result was worth it is another story (laughter.)
From the Archdiocese website:
Plans soon took a dramatic turn as a result of a controversy ignited by an article written by architectural critic Allen Temko, who advocated a move beyond traditional architectural concepts to create a bold, new cathedral that would reflect San Francisco's status as a major international urban center. To build a cathedral which would reflect the soul of San Francisco, Archbishop McGucken added two internationally known architects to his team, Italian-born Pietro Belluschi, Dean of the School of Architecture of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who was placed in charge of designs, and Pier-Luigi Nervi, an engineering genius from Rome, who took over structural concerns.A thoughtful account of a visit to 149 Santa Ana this weekend here.
· 149 Santa Ana Avenue [Barbagelata, via MLS]
· Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption [Archdiocese of San Francisco]
· Mid-Century Modern, Open This Weekend [Curbed SF]
· Monday PM Modernism [Curbed SF]
· A Socketsite Reader Reports: 130 Santa Ana Avenue [Socketsite]
· Allan Temko, Architectural Watchdog [SF Gate]