Craftsman Adventure in La Jolla – The Lodge at Torrey Pines

Since I missed visiting the Gamble House last Sunday, why not visit a craftsman Orchid in La Jolla? The Lodge at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, which opened in 2002, has received numerous awards, including the Grand Orchid for Outstanding Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Interior Design and Lighting by the San Diego Architecture Foundation.

The Lodge pays homage to the California Craftsman style of architecture, which emphasized clean lines, open spaces and roughhewn materials. It is modeled after the Gamble and Blacker houses in Pasadena, California. These are two of the best examples of early Craftsman-style architecture by Green & Green.

There is a great article describing the architecture of the Lodge at the link below with photographs of not only the Lodge, but also the Gamble and Blacker houses.

http://www.thecraftsmanbungalow.com/lodge-at-torrey-pines/

The Lodge was designed by associate architect William Hughes of the firm Wimberly, Allison Tong & Goo Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo.  Former director and curator of The Gamble House, the late Randell Makinson Randell Makinson, worked as a special supervisor on the project, ensuring that the lodge’s look and feel was architecturally consistent with historic Greene & Greene style. Kristine Smith of Design Studio Interiors is the Interior Designer for the Lodge.

I happened to visit mid-afternoon, not quite the ideal time for photography.  However, I was still able to capture some nice iPhone shots.  The next visit will be at a more ideal time of day.

The hotel’s imposing porte-cochère (love this word!) is nearly identical to the one at the Blacker House. Note, the intricate post-and-beam construction.  

Greene & Greene were known for using three-panel doors adorned with elaborate art glass in the entrances to many of the larger homes they designed.  The entrance to the lodge’s main lobby is like the doors at The Gamble House and the Blacker House, though the tree depicted is our native torrey pine. It is simply stunning when viewed from inside the lobby entry.  A small table is lit by a reproduction of the dining room light from The Robinson House in Pasadena (G&G, 1906) 

In the lobby, there are multiple five foot tall lighting fixtures modeled after the Pratt House in Ojai, California (G&G, 1909) and several intimate seating areas with reproduction G&G furniture. Exposed post-and-beam architecture runs throughout the entire complex. 

The exterior of the lobby (overlooking the pool area) was inspired by the rear of the Blacker House. 

In another wing of the lodge, the balcony of one of the suites bears a strong resemblance to the sleeping porches at The Gamble House. Another borrowed detail is the chimney from the Mary E. Cole House. 

It was nice to stroll the beautifully landscaped grounds and I look forward to spending more time at The Lodge, most likely dining and enjoying the view from the hotel restaurant A.R. Valentien, named after the noted pottery decorator and designer Albert Robert Valentien. A number of his artwork and pottery are displayed in the restaurant area as well as paintings by his wife, Anna Marie Bookprinter.