Item 18 - Appeal Application Nos. 2023-02 and 2023-03 for Cabrillo Town Center project

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HISTORIC RESOURCES ASSESSMENT TOWN CENTER PLAZA � C A A DULY 2022 SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA J The American Embassy in New Delhi, India, exemplifies Stone's approach. He wrapped a Classical colonnade around a simple box, although he replaced the usual thick stone columns with astringently thin gilded steel supports. He further modernized and dematerialized the walls of the box itself, constructing them of perforated terrazzo blocks which served as sun screens. Perforated screens in masonry and aluminum, and the extensive use of richly gilded surfaces and structures, were among the character -defining features of this style. The master architect Philip Johnson also explicitly referred to the Classical temple in his Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1963. Here he even hints at a Roman arcade, with the flattened arches smoothly bridging between the sharp -edged columns. Yet, the overall effect is decidedly modern. Each bay looks like a giant panel that was stamped out by an industrial process, like the one that stamps out car doors, while the open bays at the center of the entrance reveal a Miesian frame and glass infill. Although examples of the New Formalism can be found scattered around the country, the idea never caught on extensively. From the strictly Modernist point of view, the forms returned too explicitly to the discredited traditional styles. Their constructional realities were too often disguised or obscured. From a traditionalist point of view, the lack of detail failed to moderate the scale and bulk of what were still in reality large Modernist boxes. Both sides tended to view these buildings as lacking in substance. They may also be viewed as tentative precursors to Postmodernism, the architectural movement of the 1970s and 1980s that attempted to bridge the gap between the modern and the traditional. Previous Studies In January 2022, LSA prepared a due diligence report that included preliminary research and field observations for the project area (Tibbet 2022). As part of that study, input was sought from various historical groups and individuals. The feedback provided suggested that the project area might be part of the Parkcenter development and that Parkcenter may be an important planned development in Santa Ana. It was also suggested that the project area (Town Center Plaza) be looked at in the context of the overall Parkcenter development. The cohesive design aesthetic of the four buildings in the project area was also noted. This input was taken into consideration as part of this study. FIELD SURVEY January 2022 During the January 2022 survey, all four buildings in the project area were intensively surveyed although only the building at 1971 East 4th Street is 50 years of age (Figures 3-9). The building is described below. This beige, three-story commercial building has dark brown trim. It is rectangular in plan, wood or steel framed, and rests on a poured concrete foundation. Exterior wall cladding is textured stucco. The composition roof is flat, with a low-pitched parapet visibly clad in red clay Spanish tiles. Broad eaves extend beyond a cantilevered balcony, which is arcaded and has simple metal railing. The Pdiy °found (07/21/22) 18 - 787 10/3/2023 16