Come hear Architectural Historian Jonathan Lammers’ speak about San Francisco’s Master Architect August Nordin, his masterpiece, the Swedish American Hall — now San Francisco’s newest landmark (#267) and ranked by the City as among the top 5% of our landmarks and one of the most distinctive in the West — and the Swedish/Scandinavian community in San Francisco at the time of PPIE.

Immediately following the Earthquake of 1906, the Swedish Society of San Francisco hired him to design their distinctive Swedish American Hall, built the following year in what became the Scandinavian neighborhood of San Francisco. It was here that Swedes planned and raised the funds to participate yearlong in their Swedish Pavilion. And from here in February 1915 that they began their car caravan to the fair celebrating the inauguration of Sweden’s Pavilion there.

Useful Info: This wonderful lecture is based upon Lammers’ superb case study for San Francisco to landmark the Hall. He resurrects the period and community, describes other local examples of Nordin’s work, as well as defines the distinguishing characteristics of the Hall and others of its type. Before or after the event, visitors are invited to snack, dine, or imbibe at the new restaurant, Aatxe, the Basque dining sensation, or at the renewed Café Du Nord, one of the City’s oldest saloons/lounge, both located on the premises at the Swedish American Hall.