San Juan Capistrano Library
Across the street from the historic Mission San Juan Capistrano stands a subtle, but important building in American architecture. The San Juan Capistrano Library is one of the first examples of postmodern architecture in America, and is one of the first public buildings designed by internationally renowned architect Michael Graves. He received the commission through a competition that specified that the design needed to adhere to the prevailing Spanish Mission style of the area. Graves looked to the style’s roots in the Renaissance and its transformations in response to the climate of California and elsewhere in the New World to design “a civic space that feels intimate, that connects to at least one part of our history, and that provides a sequence and variety of rooms that are comfortable and comforting.” The library received the National AIA Honor Award and is a San Juan Capistrano Historic Site.
San Juan Capistrano, Orange County
Photographer: Andrew Schmidt