New California Classics: Spanish Revival
Author:California Home and DesignSpanish Revival architecture emerged in the early 20th century as California architects began to romanticize and reinterpret the region’s Spanish colonial past. Drawing inspiration from the whitewashed missions built by Spanish settlers and Indigenous labor in the 18th and 19th centuries, the style evolved into a regionally rooted architectural language.
In 1915, the movement gained national attention when architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue showcased a master plan at the Panama-California Exposition in San Diego. From ornate Spanish Baroque Churrigueresque to more rustic, vernacular forms influenced by Spanish, Mexican and Native American traditions, the plan shared a range of styles. After the exposition’s closure in 1917, Spanish Revival architecture flourished throughout the 1920s and 1930s, becoming a defining feature of California’s residential landscape.
Drawings by Eddie Maestri of Maestri Studio.
Spanish Revival architecture encompasses a number of revivalist styles in which designers would frequently incorporate multiple period references, but generally the style had the following key characteristics: thick plaster walls, low-pitched clay tile roofs, asymmetrical facades, arches and semicircular arcades, small porches or balconies and decorative iron trim.
As our Southern California communities begin the long journey of rebuilding, there are opportunities for architecture to address the demand for better fire and climate resilience. Spanish Revival precedents were heavily influenced by the hot, intense environments of Southern Spain and Mexico, and many
of the architecture’s key characteristics were in direct response to these climates. For example, thick plaster walls offer increased depth for improved insulation, thermal mass and shaded openings, reducing solar heat gain while being inherently fire resistant. In addition, clay tile roofs are designed to resist heat and moisture—ensuring longevity and noncombustible performance.
Beyond material characteristics, the Spanish Revival style typically includes plan elements such as courtyards, open spaces or deep covered porches. These features were originally intended to provide ample shading from the intense sun, cross ventilation to capture cooling breezes and directed natural light for dramatic effect. While well-suited for Southern California’s appealing indoor-outdoor lifestyle, these same elements can support wildfire resilience by establishing defensible space, reducing flammable landscaping near structures and using noncombustible materials like terracotta and stone.
The journey of rebuilding after the wildfires provides an opportunity to honor the legacy of Spanish Revival architecture by integrating regional precedents with modern resilience and sustainability practices and re-establishing communities with a humane and relevant sense of place.
–Story by Andrew Scott, Eddie Maestri, Elizabeth Dinkel, Deborah Costa
