Architect Corner - William Pereira

This post is a photo essay of projects by architect William Pereira that I’ve visited in the LA area and also in San Diego and San Francisco.

Links in the subtitles provide detailed information on the projects.

There are additional projects to be visited and photographed, some close to me: residences in Glendale and San Marino, campus architecture at UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine.

Pacific Mutual, 1972

Recently I met my son, the soon-to-be-licensed-architect, in Newport Beach and mentioned there was an insurance building by Pereira nearby. As we were walking to our car in the Fashion Island parking lot, we happened to see the building across the street. Now that is what I call an opportune photo moment!

I read that the futuristic building, finished in 1972, proved to be such an attraction that employees served as tour guides for people interested in seeing the distinctive new space.

After posting this image on Instagram, I learned that a friend had worked in the building in the 80’s. I find that my images often bring back great memories for others and they take the time to share this.

She mentioned there was a different sculpture in the atrium then, not the whale sculpture there now. The mural column was “Celebration of Life” was by artist Tom Van Sant. That’ll be a future project to research what happened to the mural column.

Transamerica Tower, 1972

The Transamerica Building in San Francisco was a treat to see up close and from other vantage points in the city. The iconic brutalist building is currently undergoing a renovation and restoration by Foster + Partners. More info HERE.

University California Irvine

Great brutalist architecture is plentiful on the campus of UC Irvine (UCI) which I have reason to visit regularly. The most recent images shared here were taken at Langston Library and the Social Sciences Building.
Pereira designed the master plan for the campus. While planning UCI, Pereira was featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1963. In the accompanying article, he explained how designing in accordance with contours of the land, setting aside land for greenbelts, and creating walkable districts free of automobile traffic and parking lots guided his design principles.

University California San Diego, Geisel Library (1970)

To view the other-worldly futuristic Geisel Library is an amazing experience. Had I attended UCSD for my undergraduate degree, this would have been my study space :-)
The library is an eight-story structure with two submerged floors and six floors of varying sizes above ground level. The widest of the above ground levels occurs at the sixth floor, which is over two hundred feet wide.

For fans of brutalist architecture, this is a must-see when visiting San Diego.

Theme Building (1961)

The Theme Building by Pereira & Luckman is a Los Angeles Airport (LAX) icon. Whenever there, I try to photograph it, usually a drive-by shot as I pass by.. A great vantage point is when you exit the P6 parking garage.

Hunt Library (1962), 201 S. Basque Avenue

I had bookmarked this former Fullerton branch library designed by William Pereira for a visit and finally fit in a stop Feb. 2024. I knew it had been closed for awhile (since 2013) and was not clear what would become of it until yesterday!

Thanks to @schmarchitecture for sharing the news that it will reopen as a library April 13, 2024.

Another point of interest for me was the tie to Norton Simon, whose art collection is now displayed in his namesake museum in Pasadena.

A little history from an article in the Fullerton Observer:

It was built in 1962 with funds donated by the Hunt Foods and Industries Foundation. The Library was designed by prolific architect William L. Pereira, who had just completed the Santa Fe Springs Public Library. Pereira designed many buildings in Orange County, including the Langston Library at UC Irvine, Bullock’s Fashion Square in Santa Ana (now MainPlace), the Laguna Playhouse, and Golden West College.

Industrialist Norton Simon, President of Hunt Foods and Industries at the time the gift was made, was a noted art collector, and he had hoped to build a museum in Fullerton to house his collection. For awhile, there was a continuous display of Simon’s paintings and sculptures at the Library.