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Architecture Inspired by Spain

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How a Canal Inspired Architects

Casa de Balboa in Balboa Park, San Diego

The Panama-California Exposition in 1915 inspired elaborate Spanish Revival architecture like Casa de Balboa in Balboa Park, San Diego

Photo © Medioimages/Photodisc/Getty Images
In 1915, gates to the Panama canal swung open. To celebrate, San Diego - the first North American port of call on the Pacific Coast - launched a spectacular exposition. The chief designer for the event was Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, who had a fascination for Gothic and Hispanic styles.

Goodhue did not want the cold, formal Renaissance and Neoclassical architecture that was normally used for expositions and fairs. Instead, he envisioned a fairytale city with a festive, Mediterranean flavor.

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