Simeon Levi Co: Entrance, Petco Park, San Diego, California
Interior & Exterior Restoration
Design & Execution

This project involved the restoration of the entry and the East Façade of the 1927 historic Simon Levi Company building.

Overtime some original architectural elements of the entrance were damaged while others, such as, two decorative plaster niches and the adjacent moldings, two wooden beams, and the  wrought  iron gate vanished. This building is now integrated in The Legend condo complex. The interior was remodeled into a restaurant and bar: “Wine Steels.”

The design and the investigation part of this project included: measured drawings, scale drawings, full size details, specifications, color, mortar analysis, and color match. Samples of paint and mortar were removed from different locations of the façade and sent for analysis to a specialized lab.

The execution part of this project included: removal a newer sign (KVAAS sign) that covered the original sign, restoration of damaged Simon Levi Sign and all  plaster decoration under and above the sign. The two missing decorative plaster niches and two missing red wood stenciled beams were replicated by using the available historic photographs. Also, the 1927 original windows wood members were restored. The missing wrought iron gate was replicated by an iron work contractor, after drawings and photos provided by RARA. The original  historic color of the entrance and upper part of the entire  facade, matched from samples by the analysis lab, was replicated.

The project is an excellent example of the spirit of historic preservation.  The painstaking work done by Renaissance Art, Restoration & Architecture brought the Simon Levi Company entry and façade to its original 1927 appearance.

This project was completed in May 2010. 

The historic photos below were provided by Center City Development Corporation (CCDC), and Heritage Architecture and Planning (HAP).

Simon Levi Co., Historic Photo c. 1945

Historic Photo of Original Simon Levi Co.                            Historic Photo After KVAAS Renovation

BEFORE RESTORATION 2009


BEFORE RESTORATION, Details


DURING RESTORATION





DURING RESTORATION, DETAILS


AFTER RESTORATION

                The niche after replication                               Lateral view of the Entrance


        Right side of the Entrance                            Detail of the right side column and capital


    Lateral view before installation of iron gate         Frontal view before installation of iron gate