Regular readers will have noticed that the kinds of changes noted here usually involve the built environment. Such changes most often happen when an older building is torn down and replaced. However, architectural styles have also changed a lot over the years. Sometimes those changes come full circle, when a new building is designed - at least in general terms - in an older style.
The style known as "Second Empire" features what was a new design invention at the time (1850s), and was perhaps the first architectural workaround. The city of Paris enacted a height limit, coupled with a requirement for pitched roofs. In response, some clever designer invented the mansard roof.
The style didn't reach Santa Cruz until the 1870s, and its popularity only lasted about ten years. At that time, Santa Cruz didn't have height limits or roof pitch requirements, so the French innovation lacked its main raison d'etre. Today, only two Second Empire designs survive within our city limits, and one has been extensively altered. The Hotel McCray on Front Street, shown in the photo at right, was originally a private home, remodeled in Second Empire style in the 1870s.
Now the old hotel structure forms the central core of today's Sunshine Villa, an assisted living facility. Extensive additional wings flank the original building. Attempting to preserve design consistency, the additions restate the original mansard roof and corner tower style.
A view from above Pacific Avenue, near the north end of West Cliff Drive, offers an opportunity to see this design evolution circle from a single vantage point, along with an example of what later gave the mansard a bad name in modern commercial design.
At upper left (pink) is part of the Sunshine Villa additions, showing its many dormer windows in a mansard roof.
Below right is Las Palmas Taco Bar, with its green mansard false roof, used to screen mechanical equipment on the roof. To be fair, a mansard is probably not the least attractive way to provide such screening. The style was so overused in the 1950s-70s, however, that it became emblematic of that era's "tackytecture".
A disclaimer, by the way: the food at Las Palmas has always been great, no matter what you think of the building.
Santa Cruz Changes locations can be found on this Google Map.
