Ocean Beach

Savannah Armer

October 13, 2012

Signage

Stacy Asher

Ocean Beach

            The Ocean is one of the most beautiful sights on Earth.  People travel from all over the world just to get a glimpse and a picture to take home. San Francisco beaches are known for their beautiful fog and the good surfing conditions. Ocean Beach is located at the end of Golden Gate Park, and it is a must see area for many Tourists. Ocean Beach is a beautiful example of place being defined by space with a lack of emphasis on signage.

            In the early area of San Francisco development, Ocean Beach, which then was known as outside lands, was left alone due to the cold weather and fog. The first development in the area came in the late 19^th century in the form of a roller coaster. Then Ocean Beach got another surge of development once Golden Gate park was created, the end of the park dead ends directly to the beach. The beach Chalet that sits across of the water was built in 1925.  The city wanted to create great signage and art in the Chalet without distracting from the beautiful nature around them.

            Once the Beach Chalet was built, the WPA took control of the project, searching for the perfect artist to capture the times they were living in. They found Lucien Labaudt and she started painting during the 1930s. Labaudt’s mission was to document the lifestyles of residents as they were at that time. Throughout the paintings, one sees hobbies that people do in their everyday lives. One painting shows a woman sitting on a bench knitting, another a group of people with rackets, and communities together, she wanted to solidify the history of the times forever.

           

            The lack of signage in Ocean Beach allows the place to be defined by the space, instead of commercial distractions. When walking around the Beach, one will not see any advertisements, all the signs are pastel colors and all public information. For example, “Rip Tides” or “No Smoking”, are the public signs that you would see in the area. One can focus on the actual nature in the area, creating a real connection for people to grab on to. A commercial landscape allows society to feel comfortable, but not feel a emotion attachment. The lack of signage at Ocean Beach is important to the attitude that the beach conveys.

            Ocean Beach is both timeless and historical. Ladaudt’s beautiful murals on the walls bring you back to the 30s when times were simple and people were happy. But at the same time, the lack of signage and advertisements make the area have a timeless feel, as if it was just you and the beach.  Ocean Beach is a beautiful place defining itself in the nature space.