The Old YWCA Building

Jul 21st, 2022

I would really like this building to be restored. Julian Morgan was the architect. She was a trailblazer. She was the architect for, The Hearst Castle. First licensed woman architect in California. As Wikipedia says: still to this day has designed and constructed, more buildings than any other architect ever. That of course includes all the men lol
Sep 19th, 2021

Former YWCA Building, 1921 78 North Marengo Avenue Architect: Julia Morgan Julia Morgan undertook a number of commissions for the YWCA, including the Pasadena YWCA in the Civic Center District. She was was the first woman to be admitted to the cole de Beaux Arts department of architecture in Paris, the first woman licensed as an architect in the State of California, and the designer of Hearst Castle in San Simeon, among many other landmark buildings. In the hopes of furthering opportunities for women, this became a landmark for a trailblazer for female architects and she became the designer of one of the most famous and opulent buildings in California. The three-story Mediterranean-style structure was built in 1921, directly across the way from City Hall, and was one of five YWCAs that the San Francisco-based Morgan designed in Southern California. When the YWCA sold the building, its absentee landlord allowed the historic campus to languish as it sat vacant for nearly 14 years. In 2010 the City of Pasadena, concerned about the lack of care and maintenance, invoked eminent domain over the property, and negotiations to convert the building to a 150-room boutique hotel are currently underway.
Jul 25th, 2019