25 Famous California Buildings and Their Architects 

Clockwise from upper left: A Highlands Eichler home, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Union Station, and Cathedral of Christ the Light.

People and groups behind the places

The place names might be well-known—Hearst Castle, Ahwahnee Hotel, Union Station—but do you know the architects behind the buildings? Get to know 25 of California’s must-see structures and their architects, as compiled by USA Today and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) California Council:

1. Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles—Frank Gehry.
2. Ahwahnee Hotel, Yosemite—Gilbert Stanley Underwood.
3. Hearst Castle, San Simeon—Julia Morgan.
4. Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey—EHDD.
5. Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala, San Diego—Fr. Jose Bernardo Sanchez.
6. Condominium One, Sea Ranch—Moore Lyndon Turnbull Whitaker.
7. Transamerica Pyramid, San Francisco—William Pereira.
8. Wayfarers Chapel, Rancho Palos Verdes—Lloyd Wright.
9. The Highlands, San Mateo—Joseph Eichler.
10. Hallidie Building, San Francisco—Willis Polk.
11. Marston House, San Diego—Irving John Gill.
12. Marin County Civic Center, San Rafael—Frank Lloyd Wright.
13. Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland—Craig Hartman/Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.
14. Union Station, Los Angeles—John and Donald Parkinson (station)/Mary Colter (restaurant).
15. Oakland Museum, Oakland—Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates/Mark Cavagnero Associates (renovation).
16. Eames House, Los Angeles—Charles and Ray Eames.
17. Neurosciences Institute, San Diego—Tod Williams Billie Tsein Architects.
18. Mission Inn, Riverside—Arthur B. Benton/Myron Hunt/G. Stanley Wilson.
19. Crown Zellerbach Building, San Francisco—Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.
20. Salk Institute, La Jolla—Louis Kahn.
21. King’s Road House/Schindler House, West Hollywood—Rudolph M. Schindler.
22. H. DeYoung Memorial Museum, San Francisco—Herzog & de Meuron/Fong & Chan Architects/Hood Design.
23. Frey House II, Palm Springs—Albert Frey.
24. Hollyhock House, East Hollywood—Frank Lloyd Wright.
25. Gamble House, Pasadena—Charles and Henry Greene.

The majority of these architecturally renowned locations are accessible to the public, so start planning your future California architectural journey today! For information on California’s licensed architects—or to help you design and implement your own project—visit the Department of Consumer Affairs’ California Architects Board; to check a professional’s license, visit https://search.dca.ca.gov.