architect

Historic designation given to Central Fire Station

Last month, California’s State Historical Resources Commission added Riverside’s downtown Central Fire Station to the state’s Register of Historic Resources. Currently entering its sixth decade of operation, the building has come under threat recently as the city prepares to build a new fire station on the block directly behind the current location. And though the…

Library-museum task force convenes

This past week saw the first meeting of the city’s newly-formed “blue ribbon” task force for the combined downtown library-museum expansion project, which stalled in recent months following public comments questioning the viability of joint-use expansion. Members of the committee, comprised of seasoned Riverside civic leaders, have been given the task of formulating a plan,…

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Then & Now – Galleria at Tyler: Part Two

Since its opening as the single-level Tyler Mall in 1970 and re-christening as the two-level Galleria at Tyler in 1991, Riverside’s primary shopping center remains one of Inland Southern California’s top retail destinations. Currently undergoing its third major expansion, the Galleria at Tyler has flourished as both the city and the Inland region have grown…

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Then & Now – Galleria at Tyler

Since its opening as the single-level Tyler Mall in 1970 and re-christening as the two-level Galleria at Tyler in 1991, Riverside’s primary shopping center remains one of Inland Southern California’s top retail destinations. Currently undergoing its third major expansion, the Galleria at Tyler has flourished as both the city and the Inland region have grown…

Circa 1966 - Original designs of downtown Riverside's pedestrian mall prior to 2008/2009 renovation (Ruhnau Clarke Architects)

Herman Ruhnau, AIA

Last month, one of Southern California’s notable post-war architects, Herman Otto Ruhnau, passed away at the age of 93 in Riverside, a city in which he left a distinctive architectural legacy. A German by descent, Ruhnau was born September 1, 1912, in Santa Barbara, California. Ruhnau would eventually move with his family to Pasadena before…

Circa 1920s - Riverside County Courthouse (Museum of Riverside)
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Then & Now – Riverside County Courthouse

Considered one of the finest examples of Beaux Arts Classical architecture in the nation, the Riverside County Courthouse is a gem among civic buildings. Designed by Franklin Pierce Burnham of the architectural firm of Burnham and Bliesner of Los Angeles, the 1903 courthouse is patterned after the Grand Palais (Grand Palace) from the 1900 Universal…