About CPF and the Awards

Held in conjunction with CPF’s 2026 Annual Conference in Riverside, the 2026 Mission Inn Preservation Design Awards Ceremony and Reception will spotlight excellence in historic preservation in a setting that reflects the very spirit of the work being honored. This special evening brings together award recipients, conference participants, preservation leaders, and supporters from across California to celebrate outstanding preservation projects and leadership through the Preservation Design Awards and President’s Awards.

Founded in 1978, the California Preservation Foundation (CPF) is California’s statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of historic places and cultural heritage. Through education, advocacy, and community-centered programs, CPF supports the people, projects, and policies that keep California’s historic resources vital and valued. We now support a national network of more than 36,000 members and supporters. Click here to learn how you can become a member.

Pool Project Team

Entrant
Linda Cogswell – City of Santa Monica

Project Lead
John Lesak  (Principal) – Page & Turnbull, Inc.

Owner/Client
Nan Friedman (Beach House Venue Manager) – City of Santa Monica

Historic Architect
John Lesak – Page & Turnbull, Inc.

Contractor
April Rabanera – K.C. Restoration Co., Inc.

Construction Manager
Brian Ochoa – City of Santa Monica

Annenberg Community Beach House Pool Repair and Rehabilitation

Annenberg Community Beach House Pool Repair and Rehabilitation is a winner for the 2021 Preservation Design Award for Craftsmanship/Preservation Technology. Award recipients are selected by a jury of top professionals in the fields of architecture, engineering, planning, and history, as well as renowned architecture critics and journalists. Tickets and sponsorship options are available at californiapreservation.org/awards.

Read more about the Preservation Design Awards

About Annenberg Community Beach House Pool Repair and Rehabilitation

Located between the Pacific Coast Highway and Santa Monica State Beach, the Annenberg Community Beach House pool is one of Santa Monica’s most treasured community amenities, open to all with no membership required. Mothballed after the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, the historic pool was reimagined in 2009 as an integral part of this new public destination. Heavy use since 2009 coupled with the coastal environment was tough on the pool’s fragile deck and pool finishes. The resulting deterioration became a safety concern. In time to celebrate the Beach House 10th anniversary, as well as highlight the site’s associations with master architect Julia Morgan, actress Marion Davis, and her paramour William Randolph Hearst, City stewards implemented an ambitious off-season project to preserve and maintain the pool’s historic features–notably the green and white marble tiled pool deck and hand-painted decorative tile in a polychrome fish motif at the pool bottom.

Two workers in orange safety vests kneel beside a decorative tiled pool edge, carefully restoring the intricate mosaic. A California Preservation Foundation logo appears in the upper right corner. Text highlights an award for the project.
An outdoor swimming pool with metal ladders, surrounded by lounge chairs and orange umbrellas. The sky is clear and blue, with palm trees and modern buildings in the background.
A colorful mosaic of tiles depicting a stylized, fierce fish with sharp teeth, flowing fins, and swirling water, set against a green background and bordered with green and purple squares.
Empty swimming pool with light green tiles, a vertical ladder against the far wall, and a decorative mosaic tile strip featuring colorful koi fish design along the pool floor. Blue sky is visible above the pool.
A swimming pool with blue water and tiled edges, featuring a step and handrail leading into the pool. Poolside seating and equipment are visible in the background near a modern building.
A rectangular outdoor swimming pool with clear water beside a modern building with tall white columns, surrounded by tiled decking and lounge chairs, on a sunny day.
A swimming pool with clear blue water, bordered by a tiled deck. A metal handrail leads into the pool. Signs on the deck read “NO DIVING” with a symbol indicating diving is not allowed.
A worker in an orange safety vest is installing tiles beside an empty pool near a modern building, while another worker is visible in the background. The sky is partly cloudy.
A person uses a small brush to restore or paint a decorative ceramic tile mural featuring flowing, abstract shapes and a dragon-like creature in green, purple, and beige tones.
A worker in a safety vest stands near the edge of an empty swimming pool. The pool deck features gray and white rectangular tiles arranged in a pattern, with small sections of white stones between them.
Four construction workers in safety vests and helmets are refurbishing an empty swimming pool, working on the pool wall with tools and orange buckets. The pool is dry, and equipment is visible around the area.
Two people in orange safety vests and masks carefully restore or clean a decorative tiled mural on the ground, featuring intricate designs with fish and plants. The photo appears to be taken outdoors on April 3, 2020.
A damaged marble edge by a mosaic-tiled pool, with some tiles broken or missing, exposing underlying concrete. Various marble tiles in dark green, white, and gray shades are visible.
Featured Image Courtesy City of Santa Monica, Page & Turnbull, K.C. Restoration, Sarah Prikryl