Hotel Del Coronado - Ocean Ballroom
The Hotel Del Coronado is a historic beachfront hotel that sits just across from the San Diego Bay. The National Historic Landmark has stood as a symbol of luxury and elegance since 1888, it’s a rare example of the wooden American Victorian beach resort architectural genre and is the second-largest wooden structure in the United States.
Among its many treasures is a fresco-secco on the ceiling of the Ocean Ballroom. Dating back to the grand opening of the hotel, the secco, believed to be the oldest of its kind in Southern California, was recently rediscovered during a major renovation in 2022, a further contribution to the historical and artistic value of the landmark. EverGreene was brought in to undertake the delicate task of its conservation and restoration.
Our team approached the project with a thorough assessment of the fresco’s existing conditions, identifying areas of damage, fading, and plaster loss. The assessment was then used to craft a targeted conservation strategy. After analyzing the original composition cleaning and in-painting trials were performed to determine the most effective methods, which were then tested through mock-ups. Thorough testing and a comprehensive plan was developed, our conservators then proceeded to the second mobilization, which focused on the actual conservation of the fresco. We stabilized the plaster using injection consolidation and grouting techniques, reinforced existing wood lath, and inserted new lath in areas where the plaster had been lost, ensuring a stable and durable foundation for the fresco. Surface cleaning was performed meticulously to remove accumulated dirt without damaging the original pigments. Once complete, our conservators conducted inpainting to restore areas where the fresco had suffered pigment loss or damage.
We provided a detailed treatment report upon completion, including a maintenance plan to guide the future care of the fresco. The comprehensive approach was designed not only to restore the fresco to its former glory but also to preserve it for future generations to appreciate.
The restoration of the ballroom to include the fresco-secco was completed in the Summer of 2024. The entire Hotel del Coronado renovation project is scheduled to be complete in January 2025.
