Restoration Award
Spectra Company
San Gabriel, California
Conserving San Gabriel Mission after a devastating fire was like an act of spiritual redemption. Seeing the church charred by the flames was both heartbreaking and daunting, but the entire team—the architects, engineers, conservators, and contractors—rose to the occasion, working with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to systematically bring the building back better than it was before.
The process began with removal of the 19th-century retablo and sculptures so they could be treated offsite at a conservation studio while the sanctuary was stabilized. The highly trained team of conservators used state-of-the-art solvent gels to separate thick char that had accumulated on pieces on the highest registers of the retablo, in the process revealing original colors that had been obscured by a previous repair campaign. Careful investigation by the preservation architect and conservators also exposed the building’s original color scheme. As important historical information was obtained, the church’s dark history as a site built by enslaved Native communities was grappled with. The result was a historical place of worship that reckoned with its past as it rose from the ashes and brought its diverse community together in repair.
Jury Comments
A great example of redemption from fire, sensitive to the historic details and qualities of the church.
Project Team Members
Christina Varvi
Rosa Lowinger
Sonia Jerez Fraj
Project Consultants
RLA Conservation
Drisko Studio
Melvyn Green & Associates
