Introduction & Building History
The Timken Museum of Art, designed by San Diego architect John Mock for Frank L. Hope & Associates, is widely regarded as one of the most outstanding examples of mid-century southern California modernism. The building is considered to be the second most important representation of mid-century architecture in San Diego, after Louis Kahn’s iconic Salk Institute.Groundwork for the Timken Museum of Art began in 1951 with the intent of creating a modern building of simple elegance to showcase the Putnam Foundation’s paintings to the best advantage. The museum opened to the public in 1965 and became a major example of the post-World War II trend to build contemporary museum buildings to display centuries of art.Preceding the mid-century modernist movement, the Bauhaus movement, a German art school founded by Walter Gropius 1919 Weimar, emphasized functional shapes, industrial materials, and primary color schemes. Informed by Bauhaus philosophy, American and European mid-century modernists took principles such as functionality and light into account while also integrating more organic forms and harmonizing with nature and site. These principles carried over to the mid-century modern movement and to the Timken’s architecture. In addition, mid-century modern architectural elements including symmetry, flat planes, and clean lines are celebrated in the Timken’s architecture.The museum also features several key stylistic elements from the New Formalist architectural movement, which directly followed mid-century modernism. New Formalism emulated Classical architecture through traditional materials, raised structures, inclusion of arches and colonnades, and intricate details.Travertine, a limestone that the Romans called "lapis Tiburtinus," can be found on the Museum’s exterior walls, promenade, and its interior floors and galleries. The sedimentary stone is made essentially of calcite, deposited by calcareous waters, its color a whitish, slightly yellow, or reddish grain. The Museum’s travertine was imported from Italy, and is the same material used in the ancient Roman Colosseum. Pictured here is the Colosseum and the Museum’s exterior for a visual comparison.
Bronze Ornamental Details
Bespoke bronze ornamental details adorn the museum’s entrance. Over 1,200 floral reliefs garnish the museum doors, and are used to symbolize the fine art in the collection. Sweeping scroll motifs frame both the entrances to the galleries and the exterior promenade, capturing the sunlight and illuminating the gently shifting patinas that are synonymous with bronze alloy.
Grand Windows
The Timken Museum’s grand windows offer a dramatic but welcoming experience, strengthening the sense of harmony between the building’s interior space and the surrounding exterior environment. Featured in the main entrance, foyer, and Central Gallery, the windows embrace the Southern California landscape and highlight the Timken’s position within Balboa Park. To the east, visitors can observe Balboa Park’s Lily Pond and Lagoon and to the west, a sweeping vista of the Plaza de Panama and California Tower.
Exterior Gardens
Another principal element of the Timken’s design are the two Japanese-inspired gardens that intersect the building and blur the lines between interior and exterior space. The gardens showcase the building’s relationship with nature, a fundamental characteristic of the mid-century modern movement. Designed in 1984 by landscape architect Takendo Arii, the gardens feature camellias, clivias, Australian tree ferns, Japanese and tropical plants. The North garden features a small rock waterfall cascading into a shallow pool. The result invites visitors to engage in San Diego’s moderate climate and abundant sunshine.The Peterson Garden to the north is dedicated in memory of John A. Petersen, Timken Executive Director and Nancy Ames Petersen, for her many years of caring and effective leadership, including 20 years service as Executive Director of the Timken. The South garden honors Robert “Bob” Ames, in tribute and grateful appreciation for his many years of faithful dedication and service to the Museum.
Location within Balboa Park
During the planning phase of the Museum, thoughtful consideration was placed on the Museum and its relationship within Balboa Park. As a result, the Museum was designed to take advantage of its surroundings, built on a set back above the front plaza and accessible to enjoy from all four sides. Each side of the Museum faces squarely in each cardinal direction; the entrance facing West, the sides North and South, and the rear facing East. Although the Museum has been around for more than half a century, it stands the test of time and provides an intriguing architectural contrast to the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture predominantly featured in Balboa Park.
John R. Mock, Timken architect
John R. Mock, with Frank L. Hope & Associates, is responsible for the Timken's iconic architecture. Mock relocated from Detroit to San Diego in 1958 after exiting the army as a new officer. Mock began working as a draftsman for the firm of Frank L. Hope & Associates and was soon appointed designer after his drawings caught Frank Hope Sr.’s attention. Hope’s firm quickly rose to the forefront of the modernist movement in San Diego, and by 1962, Mock finalized his drawings for the Museum.In 1963, Mock left Hope’s firm to open his own firm, Hendrick & Mock Architects, which led to the modernist design of dozens of San Diego structures including the Hanalei Hotel, Balboa Park Hotel, La Hacienda Restaurante, Town and Country Hotel Convention Center, the Flores Residence, and more.In his essay “Architecture..the Concept,” Mock outlines the philosophy behind his design choices. Mock emphasizes the impact Frank Lloyd Wright, Minoru Yamasaki, and Le Corbusier had on Modern architecture, and references the hierarchy of architectural principles including silhouette, sunlight, surface, surprise, and synthesis. The Timken’s embodiment of both mid-century modern and new formalist features illustrates the Museum’s pivotal role in the architectural evolution of Balboa Park.
