About CPF and the Awards

The California Preservation Awards are a statewide hallmark, showcasing the best in historic preservation. The awards ceremony includes the presentation of the Preservation Design Awards and the President’s Awards, bringing together hundreds of people each year to share and celebrate excellence in preservation.

The California Preservation Foundation (CPF), a 501c3 nonprofit, was incorporated in 1978. We now support a national network of more than 36,000 members and supporters. Click here to learn how you can become a member.

UCSF Toland Hall Mural Removal Team

Project Lead – Jennifer Correia, ARG Conservation Services

Owner/Client – Scott Muxen, University of California San Francisco

Historic Architect – Lisa Yergovich, Architectural Resources Group

Lead Engineer – Eugene Tuan, Tuan and Robinson Structural Engineers

Specialty Sub-Contractor(s)

– Juan Navarro, Performance Abatement Services

 – Rudy Mojica, Pacific Masonry Restoration

 – Steve Baldassarre, BrandSafway

 – Richard Battaini, Sheedy Drayage

Additional Participant(s)

– Elisabetta Covizzi Perfetti, EC2 Art Conservation

 – Rowan Geiger, Preservation Arts

 – Bryan Cain, Atthowe Fine Art Services

 – Reza Yasdi, Vibro/Dynamics

UCSF Toland Hall Mural Removal

The Toland Hall Mural Removal Project of San Francisco is a winner for the 2022 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.

About the UCSF Toland Hall Mural Removal

An expert, multi-disciplinary team of specialty contractors, art movers, rigging specialists, engineers, and preservation professionals designed and implemented a plan to extricate the twelve delicate WPA-era fresco murals collectively titled, “History of Medicine in California” from USCF Toland Hall.

This design-build project consisted of three phases: design, permitting and conservation, and construction/mural relocation.

The primary goal of the design phase was to develop a comprehensive mural treatment and design/engineer a framed support system for deinstallation and relocation. The conservation team began stabilization treatments of the murals following submittal of the treatment plan.

Transitioning from design to construction, additional scope was added to the project, including selective demolition of two skylight bays in Toland Hall and installation of structural support for the new opening. Additional subcontractors were added to the team to address hazardous materials, demolition, and access. Temporary mural protection was installed prior to starting construction tasks in July 2021.

Due to the use of a crane and the very hilly terrain around UCSF, a vibration specialist was added to team during the construction phase to analyze transportation risks so that the team could finalize relocation plans. The twelve murals were carefully cut out from the walls and custom-designed support systems were built around each mural. Safely supported by their engineered frames, the murals were then removed by crane through the demolished skylights;intact;and relocated to the storage facility in two moves, in November and December 2021.

Featured Image Courtesy ARG Conservation Services, Inc.