Restoration and Construction of Historic Vista del Arroyo Bungalows Completed
03/13/08
Restoration and Construction of Historic Vista del Arroyo Bungalows Completed
Moule & Polyzoides initiated a new chapter in the life of one of Pasadena’s most revered historic sites with the restoration of eight landmark bungalows and the construction of four new bungalows on the Vista del Arroyo property. Moule & Polyzoides also designed and built thirteen new units on a lower level of the property, below the historic Colorado Street Bridge. The original bungalows, designed by noted Southern California architects Myron Hunt, Sylvanus Marston, Garrett Van Pelt and Edgar Maybury, were constructed in the early twentieth century to serve long-term guests of the elegant Vista del Arroyo Hotel. The hotel and bungalows were a popular destination for winter visitors from the east, an important aspect of Pasadena’s early appeal and history. After the hotel closed in the 1940s, the bungalows suffered years of neglect and were threatened with demolition before they were placed on the National Historic Register in 1981. Even then, another ten years of decline passed before Elizabeth Moule, Stefanos Polyzoides and a development team responded with an initiative to save this historic group of structures. Both new and restored structures are served by generous courtyards with rich new landscapes. Those at the edge of the Arroyo Seco enjoy magnificent views while the bungalows along the northern edge of the site enjoy the open spaces and mature trees of Defender’s Park.
