The Botanical Building Restoration Receives an Orchid!
- October 25, 2025
The Balboa Park Botanical Building was recently recognized for its transformative restoration, earning an Orchid Award for historic preservation and adaptation from the San Diego Architectural Foundation. In its 49th year, the Orchids & Onions program highlights outstanding architecture, planning, and urban design throughout the San Diego region.
This award is a testament to the many hands — architects, landscape architects, historic preservationists, engineers, city partners, volunteers, and park advocates — who helped bring this vision to life. We’d like to thank our partners in this project: The City of San Diego, RNT Architects, EC Contractors, Platt-Whitelaw Architects, Estrada Land Planning, Nan Sterman, Spurlock, Brightview Landscaping, and Spectra Company.
The list of awards acknowledging the vision, expertise, and collaboration behind this iconic landmark’s revitalization continues to grow. So far, the Botanical Building has earned:
- 2025 Preservation Design Award (California Preservation Foundation)
- 2025 AIA San Diego Honor Award for Preservation
- SEAOSD Excellence Award: Historic Preservation
- Signature Projects Design Award for Historical Preservation
- SEAOC State-Wide Engineering Excellence
- 2025 People in Preservation Award (Save Our Heritage Organisation)
- Metamorphosis Award: Historic Category (Retrofit)
As Forever Balboa Park sets its sights on the creation of the Central Gardens — the nine new garden spaces that will surround the Botanical Building — we invite you to be a part of this critical moment in Balboa Park’s history. Please visit balboaparkbotanical.org/donation to learn more about how you can make an impact and plant your legacy in Balboa Park today.
