Casa de Balboa, Building in Balboa Park, San Diego, United States
Casa de Balboa is a large structure along El Prado in San Diego. Its front combines light plaster walls, arched openings, and ornamental towers that overlook the main pedestrian walkway.
The structure first appeared during the 1915 exposition, though its original Spanish-inspired plan gave way to a Venetian character before opening. A fire destroyed much of it in 1978, and the current form was rebuilt and reopened under its present name in the early 1980s.
The front arcade often fills with visitors resting between museum visits, and the sculpted male and female figures under the eaves draw quiet attention. Natural light shifts across the plaster so that the carvings read differently in the morning than in the late afternoon.
The building sits on a flat paved boulevard with wide sidewalks, so walking from one end to the other takes only a few minutes. Benches and shade are available along the front, making it easy to pause and look at the carved details.
Some of the plaster heads and torsos along the roofline were replaced with fiberglass reproductions after the fire. Today visitors can spot slight color differences between these newer pieces and the older surviving ornament.
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