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.
The Project Team
Project Lead
Peter Birkholz – Page & Turnbull
Owner/Client
Allison Schwartz – City of Oakland
Contractor
Jon Cardon – Western Specialties Contractors
Additional Participant(s)
Kyle Milligan – Lake Merrit Breakfast Club
Susan Casentini – Lake Merrit Mid-Century Monster Fan Club
Joe Guzman – Lake Merrit Breakfast Club Charitable Foundation
Oakland Monster
Oakland Monster is a winner for the 2021 Preservation Design Award for Preservation or Restoration. 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.
About The Oakland Monster
The Monster was designed by local artist Robert Winston in 1952. Commissioned by Oakland Parks Superintendent William Penn Mott, the sculpture was inspired by Swedish abstract playground design; it was the first of its kind in the United States. By 2015, this children’s play sculpture, located in Oakland’s Lakeside Park, had deteriorated to the point of being unsafe and was fenced off. While not an officially designated landmark, the Monster is beloved by the community. The Monster is featured on the cover of Sly and the Family Stone’s 1968 album, Dance to the Music. The Monster’s restoration–like its original commission–is the result of collaborative efforts by local fundraising groups, pro-bono designers and contractors, and the City of Oakland. The project has restored the Monster to its original visual condition, enables its continued use as a children’s play sculpture, and proves that community passion for cherished resources remain a preservation fundamental.
