High School H Building (2010), photo R. Kehlmann.
CITY OF BERKELEY LANDMARK
designated in 1992
INDUSTRIAL ARTS AND SCIENCE
(G AND H BUILDINGS)
Henry H. Gutterson and William Corlett, Sr., Architects
Jacques Schnier and Robert Howard, Sculptors, 1939-1940
These buildings are fine examples of the Art Deco style in the Bay Area. They were designed as an ensemble with the adjacent Berkeley High School Community Theater. Bas-reliefs and other surface decoration accentuate an architecture of simple geometric volumes. The block-long, west facade is enlivened by alternating two- and three-story sections, repetitively patterned window groupings, and a subtle asymmetry. The facades are graced by a large bas-relief of the goddess Cybele and Jacques Schnier’s vibrant depiction of St. George and the Dragon. In a 1995 renovation designed by VBN Architects in association with WLC Architects, the buildings were structurally retrofitted and their interiors were entirely remodeled.
Berkeley Historical Plaque Project
2000
Berkeley High School, photo George O. Petty (2023).
Berkeley High School (2004), photo Anthony Bruce, BAHA Archives.
Old Berkeley High School, postcard, private collection.
Old Berkeley High School before demolition (1934), Berkeley Public Library.
Plan for development of Berkeley High School, Henry Gutterson architect, postcard (1937), Sarah Wikander collection.
Photo credit abbreviations:
BAHA: Berkeley Architectural Heritage Assn.
BHS: Berkeley Historical Society