History and Social Studies:

7.2.6 Understand the intellectual exchanges among Muslim scholars of Eurasia and Africa and the contributions Muslim scholars made to later civilizations in the areas of science, geography, mathematics, philosophy, medicine, art, and literature.

7.8.5 Detail advances made in literature, the arts, science, mathematics, cartography, engineering, and the understanding of human anatomy and astronomy (e.g., by Dante Alighieri, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo di Buonarroti Simoni, Johann Gutenberg, William Shakespeare).

Literature and Language Arts:

7.1.0Students write clear, coherent, and focused essays.  The writing exhibits students’ awareness of the audience and purpose.  Essays contain formal introductions, supporting evidence, and conclusions.

7.2.4 Write persuasive compositions
State a clear position or perspective in support of a proposition or proposal.

Describe the points in support of the proposition, employing well-articulated evidence.

Anticipate and address reader concerns and counterarguments.

Introduction
Background for the Teacher
Guiding Questions
Learning Opportunities
Assessment
Guided Discussion Questions
Instructional Plan
Materials Needed
Groupings
Checking for Student Understanding
Guided Practice
Independent Practice
Closure
Extention
English Learners
G.A.T.E. Students

Mission Inn Museum website
Florence, Italy architecture
Andrea Palladio, Renaissance architect
Andrea Palladio, Wikipedia article
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture
Architecture of the Renaissance
Mission Inn architecture
Mission Inn architecture

Introduction:

In Europe, from the 14th to the 16th Centuries, there was a new cultural movement known as the Renaissance – “Rebirth” – in which Classical Greek and Roman thought and material culture were revived and developed. An important center for the development of this Renaissance was Florence, Italy, known for its magnificent art, architecture and humanist ideas.

This “rebirth” of the classical was most apparent in the architecture of the time, visible in many elements reflective of ancient buildings, particularly of Rome and Greece. There was an emphasis on symmetry, mathematical proportions, geometrically-perfect designs, and orderly arrangements of columns, semicircular arches and hemispherical domes. Balance and regularity replaced the haphazard proportions and irregular building facades preceding the new Renaissance style, referred to by those at the time as all’Antica, “in the Antique manner.”

Renaissance architects no longer used the shape of the cross as a foundation for their constructions; instead they used the circle. They believed that ancient mathematicians associated circles with perfection and thus, architects used the circle to represent the perfection of God.

Most homes of the wealthy were built around a courtyard, a style adopted from the Romans. Facades of buildings were applied in simple, symmetrical decorations and many also featured columns, all reminiscent of ancient temples.

This style of architecture can be seen throughout the modern world as well. In Riverside, the Mission Inn is a superb example of an artful blend of classical Renaissance and Early California mission architecture in addition to influences from around the world, including Islamic and Asian art. The two photographs above illustrate that influence – the one on the left is the Renaissance building, Duomo (Cathedral) of Florence, Italy and the one on the right is one view of the Mission Inn. What do they have in common?

Background for the teacher:

At the beginning of the 20th Century, the allure and romance of the California missions spurred the adoption of Mission-style architecture. Mission Inn architect Arthur B. Benton (1911) wrote:

“(The Missions) advertise the State as nothing else can.
They give a touch of the romantic and historical atmosphere
which is the lure that draws the people to our new America. . .” (p. 159)

Frank Miller, owner of the Mission Inn, was an enthusiastic supporter of the California missions. In the book Towards a Simpler Way of Life – The Arts and Crafts Architects of California, architectural historian Karen J. Weitze (Winter, 1997) writes:

“. . . from its courtyard plan and surrounding arcades to its towers
and campanarios, the hotel was – and remains – a potent tribute
to the romance of Spanish-Mexican California.” (p. 196)

The simple beauty of an inner courtyard, clay roof tiles, and rough-hewn beams are all mission-influenced features of the hotel. Arches like the ones found at San Juan Capistrano, San Luis Rey, and other California missions line Mission Inn Avenue (originally named 7th Street). Guests who have visited both the Inn and Mission San Gabriel de Archangel will recognize the similarity between the Mission Inn's bell tower (the Campanario), and the bell tower at San Gabriel. The design of the terra cotta-colored dome of Mission San Carlos Borromeo Carmelo was incorporated into the northeast corner of the hotel, and the original two-story home Frank Miller's father built on the property in 1875 was transformed into the one story “Old Adobe,” complete with roof garden. Despite such architectural similarities, there was never an actual mission on the site.

The Spanish-Mission Revival style came to serve as a unifying architectural element for the City of Riverside’s downtown core. Other examples of Spanish-Mission Revival architecture downtown include the Riverside Memorial Auditorium and Soldier's Memorial (designed by Mission Inn architects Arthur B. Benton and G. Stanley Wilson); the US Post Office, now the Riverside Metropolitan Museum; the old Riverside City Hall; the YWCA, now the Riverside Art Museum (designed by Hearst Castle architect Julia Morgan); the Fox Theatre; the Union Pacific Depot; the YMCA, now the Life Arts Building; the First Church of Christ, Scientist (designed by Benton); the Riverside First Congregational Church (designed by Mission Inn architect Myron Hunt); Casa de Anza motel (designed by Wilson) on Market Street; and the Riverside Carnegie Library, which was replaced in 1965.

This stylistic influence reached beyond the downtown area. Myron Hunt was selected as the architect for the permanent structures at March Field, the Army Air Corps’ base east of Riverside. The government reported that the style of the base was to “harmonize with the best traditions of the historical architecture of Southern California," just like the Mission Inn, as noted in the National Register of Historic Places nomination materials for March Field (National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Historic Overview section 8, page 37, n.d.).

At the Mission Inn, we also see Islamic, Moorish, Italian, Asian, and Arts and Crafts influences. Islamic design is evident in the Alhambra Court (1923-1924) located on the 4th floor of the hotel. Sandwiched between the Mission Wing (1902-1903) and the St. Francis Atrio (Rotunda Wing 1929-1931), the Court of the Orient is inspired by Asian architecture. The introduction of the Pacific Islands-inspired Lea Lea Room added another cultural dimension to the Inn in 1939. Over a thirty year period, hotel architects Benton, Hunt, and Wilson created and blended these architectural styles into a unique structure that resembles no single region of the world.

These three architects were responsible for numerous commissions throughout Southern California. The Mission Inn is considered the pinnacle of Benton's architecture career. His other projects included the Pasadena YMCA, Church of the Epiphany in Los Angeles’ Lincoln Heights, and the president’s home at Claremont McKenna College (formally Claremont Men’s College). Hunt, from Pasadena, also left an invaluable architectural legacy, including the college campuses of Cal Tech, Pomona, and Occidental, the Rose Bowl, the Pasadena City Library, the Ambassador Hotel, the Huntington Hospital (now the Court of Appeals), the Hollywood Bowl, and the Henry E. Huntington Beaux Arts mansion (part of the Huntington Libraries). Architect and builder G. Stanley Wilson was a Riverside resident, and the local region benefited from his talent. Wilson designed several schools and houses in Riverside, as well as the National Register-listed Mission Revival style US Post Office Building in nearby Redlands. The shared vision of these architects will live on forever through the distinctive and timeless beauty of the Mission Inn.

The recognition of the Mission Inn as a National Historic Landmark, a California State Historic Landmark, and a City of Riverside Cultural Landmark reinforced the need to preserve this unique melding of architectural styles. In 1985, the hotel was closed for a major renovation and preservation effort. Careful attention to detail was essential in order to maintain the historic and architectural integrity of the landmark site. The project included updating the electrical and plumbing systems, installing air conditioning, fire sprinklers, and structural and seismic reinforcement, along with other life and safety measures. These efforts required the ingenuity of preservation architects, engineers, and contractors. The beautifully restored Mission Inn reopened to great fanfare in 1992..                                                

___________________

Benton, Arthur B. (1911). The California Mission and Its Influence upon Pacific Coast Architecture. The West Coast Magazine, 9, 2, 136-160.

Winter, Robert. (Ed.). (1997). Towards a Simpler Way of Life – The Arts and Crafts Architects of California. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Guiding Questions:

1. What does architecture tell us about the people of that time and place?

2. How does architecture reflect the geography of the area in which it is built?

3. Why do so many people create architecture that reflects another time and place?

Learning Opportunities: What do you expect your students to do by the end of this lesson? (Objective):

As a component during instruction on Renaissance contributions, particularly architecture:

• Understand the intellectual exchanges among Muslim scholars of Eurasia and Africa and the contributions Muslim scholars made to later civilizations in the areas of science, geography, mathematics, philosophy, medicine, art, and literature.
• Detail advances made in literature, the arts, science, mathematics, cartography, engineering, and the understanding of human anatomy and astronomy (e.g., by Dante Alighieri, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo di Buonarroti Simoni, Johann Gutenberg, William Shakespeare).
• Students write clear, coherent, and focused essays. The writing exhibits students’ awareness of the audience and purpose. Essays contain formal introductions, supporting evidence, and conclusions.
• Write persuasive compositions.
• State a clear position or perspective in support of a proposition or proposal.
• Describe the points in support of the proposition, employing well-articulated evidence.
• Anticipate and address reader concerns and counterarguments.

Assessment: What evidence will let you know that each and every student has achieved this objective?

• Accurate completion of primary source worksheet
• Pre/post Test
• Vocabulary Review
• Rubric Scored Persuasive Essay

Guided Discussion Questions:   What review, refocus, or leading will occur that will ensure that students are focused on the learning? (Anticipatory Set):

To discuss the topic of Renaissance architecture and its influence on the Riverside Mission Inn:   

1.  Is it important that buildings be aesthetic as well as functional?
2.  What part does geography play in architecture?
3.  Why would Frank Miller choose to use several cultural influences in his Mission Inn and not just one?
4.  Why do you think Frank Miller was so influenced by Renaissance architecture?

Instructional Plan: How will the lesson be structured? What strategies will be used? (Instructional Input):

• Teacher peruses the above Introduction and Background.
• Teacher previews information from website, which describes each artifact.
• Whole class direct instruction during initial questioning – tapping into prior knowledge.
• Individual student completion of pretest.
• Whole class direct instruction for viewing artifacts from website or PowerPoint – contextual clues.
• Independent and/or small groups complete primary source worksheet.
• Individual students write on-demand persuasive essay.

Materials needed to teach this lesson:

• Mission Inn website viewed on classroom LCD projector or printout PowerPoint and use on overhead or students may view from home or on classroom computer in small groups.
• Background sheet on Renaissance architecture.
• Primary Source Worksheet.
• On-Demand Writing Prompt.

Groupings that will be used in this lesson:

• Whole class for checking for prior knowledge, guided questions, viewing artifacts, discussion.  
• Independent student completes pretest.
• Independent student or small groups complete primary source worksheet.
• Independent student completes post test.
• Independent student writes on-demand persuasive essay.

Checking for student understanding:

• Classroom discussion/questioning
• Pre/post test
• Vocabulary review
• Primary source worksheet
• Quickwrite/discuss

Opportunities for students to practice the skill/concept: (Guided Practice):

Hold class discussion to discuss the role of architecture in society and the influences of the Renaissance on local architecture – the Mission Inn. Distribute the primary source worksheet and background sheet on Renaissance architecture. (Display the following on LCD projector from website or PowerPoint Link – PowerPoint may also be copied to transparency for use on overhead projector.) Explain that Frank Miller, local entrepreneur, founded the Mission Inn in 1903. He worked with architects and encouraged them to use the influences of the California missions and European Renaissance architecture in the final structure. Throughout the building of the Mission Inn, Frank Miller not only used California mission and Renaissance elements, but influences of Islamic and Asian art. (At each link during your Architecture tour, online written narrative is available to describe the artifacts.) ( PowerPoint) (Link PowerPoint Reference List with link from each slide to Mission Inn Artifact Narrative).

Opportunities for students to practice the skill/concept independently: (Independent Practice):

• After working independently and/or in small collaborative groups to determine information from primary source photographs, students will write an on-demand persuasive in which they determine the value of classical architecture versus modern architecture.  
• Writing prompt:   Which is more important, preserving architecture or creating modern structures? 

Opportunities for students to reflect, summarize, clarify, or explain learning: (Closure):

• Journal write:  “What were elements of Renaissance architecture identified in the Mission Inn?”

Extensions:

• Field trip to the Mission Inn – ask for docent assistance to show the various architectural features.
• Research Andrea Palladio and his influence on Renaissance architecture.
• Build a model of a building using features of Renaissance architecture.
• Research the history of architecture.  Who was the first known architect?

English Learners:

Beginning:  Write a paragraph explaining describing Renaissance.

Intermediate:  After locating information from resources, write at least one paragraph about Renaissance architecture.

Advanced:  Write a persuasive essay in which you discuss whether it is better to keep older classic buildings or building new modern ones.

G.A.T.E. Students:

• Organize a debate in which the question is:  “Discuss the details of Renaissance architecture, is it important to keep preserving it, understanding that doing so is costly to the cities in which they are built?”
• Research landmark buildings in the United States of America that were influenced by Renaissance architecture.
• If the United States were to go through a “Rebirth” – Renaissance – today, which classical influences should we adopt and why?  Create a poster or PowerPoint illustrating your views.