by ArchitectureWeek

An urban marketplace, a bridge, and a classical temple were among 19 projects receiving awards last weekend from the California Preservation Foundation in a ceremony at Stanford University.

Design awards chair, Christopher Johnson, AIA, described the 18-year-old awards program as: "one of our principal means of honoring the preservation industry and educating the public about the important role that historic preservation projects play in the quality of life in our communities."

Rehabilitating Downtown Oakland

One of the awards for rehabilitation/adaptive reuse went to Swan's Marketplace, in Oakland, designed by architects Pyatok Associates and Y. H. Lee Associates for the nonprofit East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation.

Swan's Market was a major shopping destination for all of the East (San Francisco) Bay for over 60 years and remains an important downtown landmark. The existing structure, built in several stages from 1917 to 1940, encompasses an entire city block in the Old Oakland Neighborhood.

During its long history, Swan's Market had suffered substantial damage to the exterior. Over the years, all the storefronts that remained had been remodeled. In 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake destroyed the original facade on Clay Street, which was then removed.

The rehabilitation included removal of recently applied tile and the restoration of the terra cotta and glazed brick. On Clay Street, a new, compatible facade was erected to replace the missing historic material. All the terra cotta and glazed brick was cleaned and repaired, and new, compatible storefronts were installed in the original openings.

Swan's Market in Oakland after a restoration by Pyatok Associates. Photo: Michael Pyatok The adaptive reuse project combines commercial and residential functions. Photo: Michael Pyatok   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.