Presidio of San Francisco in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Art Deco on a Grand Scale
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 3, 2021
1. Art Deco on a Grand Scale Marker
Named for the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, held in Paris in 1925, the Art Deco style was used by architect Irving Morrow to add aesthetic touches throughout the Bridge. These include chevron or beveled shapes and an expression of verticality.
Captions (clockwise from top right):
• The chevron design and the angular, stepped brackets on the horizontal struts of the Bridge are nonstructural, added for visual effect.
• The concrete pylons at the ends of the arch portion of the Bridge have a chevron form in both plan and elevation. Their tops are another Art Deco feature: they do not meet the sky as a squared off shape like a flat roof but rather with staggered vertical forms.
• A hidden Art Deco gem at the Marin (north) side of the Bridge, viewed from Battery Spencer.
• The concrete at the base of the south tower also received an Art Deco treatment.
• Lights that point down are street lights for Highway 101 traffic crossing the Bridge. The round lights pointing up emphasize the height of the towers at night, an up-lighting technique often used on Art Deco skyscrapers of the 1930s, such as the Empire State Building.
(All photographs): Golden Gate
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Arts, Letters, Music • Bridges & Viaducts. A significant historical year for this entry is 1925.
Location. 37° 48.483′ N, 122° 28.537′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in Presidio of San Francisco. Marker can be reached from Coastal Trail. Marker is at entrance to lower level of the Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point South overlook. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: San Francisco CA 94129, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Steel, Fog, Salt, Rust, and Paint (here, next to this marker); Facts & Figures About the Bridge (here, next to this marker); Tall and Strong (here, next to this marker); Types of Bridges (here, next to this marker); Battery Lancaster (a few steps from this marker); Bridging the Gate — the Beginning (a few steps from this marker); Making the Impossible, Possible: The Story of the Golden Gate Bridge (a few steps from this marker); Engineering the Design (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Francisco.
Photographed By Adam Margolis, May 30, 2016
2. Art Deco on a Grand Scale Marker
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 3, 2021
3. Art Deco on a Grand Scale Marker
Marker is second from right.
Photographed By Adam Margolis, May 30, 2016
4. Art Deco on a Grand Scale Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 6, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 302 times since then and 69 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on July 6, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on April 16, 2022, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California. 3. submitted on July 6, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 4. submitted on April 16, 2022, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California.
