Timothy L. Pflueger

Timothy L. Pflueger
Finely detailed bust sketch of a businessman wearing a suit coat, vest, collared shirt and tie, looking directly at the viewer. A signature centered below the portrait reads "T. L. Pflueger".
Pflueger in 1936, sketched by Peter van Valkenburg
Born
Timothy Ludwig Pflueger

(1892-09-26)September 26, 1892[1]
San Francisco, California
DiedNovember 20, 1946(1946-11-20) (aged 54)
San Francisco, California
OccupationArchitect
PracticeMiller and Colmesnil
J. R. Miller
Miller and Pflueger
Timothy L. Pflueger and Associates
Buildings
 
Projects
 

Timothy Ludwig Pflueger (September 26, 1892 – November 20, 1946) was an architect, interior designer and architectural lighting designer in the San Francisco Bay Area in the first half of the 20th century.[2] Together with James R. Miller, Pflueger designed some of the leading skyscrapers and movie theaters in San Francisco in the 1920s,[3] and his works featured art by challenging new artists such as Ralph Stackpole and Diego Rivera. Rather than breaking new ground with his designs, Pflueger captured the spirit of the times and refined it, adding a distinct personal flair.[4] His work influenced later architects such as Pietro Belluschi.

Pflueger, who started as a working-class draftsman and never went to college, established his imprint on the development of Art Deco in California architecture yet demonstrated facility in many styles including Streamline Moderne, neo-Mayan,[5] Beaux-Arts, Mission Revival, Neoclassical and International.[1] His work as an interior designer resulted in an array of influential interior spaces, including luxurious cocktail lounges such as the Top of the Mark at the Mark Hopkins Hotel, the Patent Leather Bar at the St. Francis Hotel and the Cirque Room at The Fairmont, three of the most successful San Francisco bars in their day.[5]

Pflueger's social and business connections spanned the city, including three private men's clubs which he joined: the Bohemian Club, the Olympic Club and The Family. He designed buildings and interior architecture for the latter two.[5] Pflueger was highly placed in several important planning organizations: He was the chairman of a committee of consulting architects on the Bay Bridge project[6] and he served on the committee responsible for the design of the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1939.[7] Pflueger was a board member of the San Francisco Art Association starting in 1930, and served variously as chair and director. While on the board, Pflueger helped the organization found the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA).[1]

  1. ^ a b c Poletti, Therese; Tom Paiva (2008). Art Deco San Francisco: The Architecture of Timothy Pflueger. Princeton Architectural Press. ISBN 978-1-56898-756-9.
  2. ^ "Remembering Architect Timothy Pflueger, the Man Behind Some of SF's Most Iconic Skyscrapers, Theaters and Bars". The San Francisco Standard. 2022-09-27. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  3. ^ Michelson, Alan. "Pflueger, Timothy". Pacific Coast Architecture Database. Architects. Seattle: University of Washington, College of Built Environments, Urban Planning Library. Retrieved January 15, 2010.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference King was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c Starr, Kevin (1996). Endangered Dreams: The Great Depression in California. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-510080-8.
  6. ^ "Bay Bridge Follies: Selected Readings in Venality, Hubris, and Incompetence". Bay Crossings. February 2005. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2019. Quoting Gray Brechin (1999). Imperial San Francisco: Urban Power, Earth Ruin.
  7. ^ "Pacifica: A New Style of Architecture Designed by Californians". The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco. Retrieved July 21, 2010. Quoting from the Official Guide Book of the Golden Gate International Exposition, 1939.