u/sftourguide

I've always loved the idea of historic rephotography. During the research for my College of San Mateo project I found some old photos that let me attempt it.

Here is one set: Building 16 in 1963 and now (and yes, the building changed from North Hall to Central Hall because another building was built north of it)

If you didn't see my original post, more info about my project is here: https://www.docomomo-noca.org/features/2026/4/24/warnecke-csm

Historic photo by Gerald Ratto. Courtesy of the Warnecke Architectural Archives.

Two years ago, while taking photo classes at the College of San Mateo, I started noticing the architecture: odd roofs, repeating columns, and the formal-looking library. I did some googling and did not find much. When I dug a bit deeper, I found surprisingly little written about it beyond a paragraph here or there.

I’m not an architectural historian, but I spent the past seven months researching the campus, its architect John Carl Warnecke, and the delightful short-lived Neo-Formalist movement it belongs to.

I have now found enough to be able to explain the architecture, how it came to be, and why it's so significant.

My article was just published here: https://www.docomomo-noca.org/features/2026/4/24/warnecke-csm

What I found is that CSM's architecture still carries much of its original ambition: to give a public community college the dignity, presence, and sense of purpose usually associated with a university. 

If you have time, read the article or go check it out. I think you may fall in love with the campus the way I have.

Have you been here for class, special events or farmers' markets? Did you ever stop to notice the architecture>

Two years ago, while taking photo classes at the College of San Mateo, I started noticing the architecture: odd roofs, repeating columns, and the formal-looking library. I did some googling and did not find much. When I dug a bit deeper, I found surprisingly little written about it beyond a paragraph here or there.

I’m not an architect, but I spent the past several months researching the campus, its architect John Carl Warnecke, and the delightful short-lived Neo-Formalist movement it belongs to.

Over the months of research, visiting the architect's archives, talking with the now 90-year-old author who wrote the history book about the school, I still found only two significant articles were ever written about the architecture (and those were in 1961 and 1965). But I did find enough to now be able to explain the architecture, how it came to be, and why it's so significant.

Docomomo US/Northern California has now published the article. Article here: https://www.docomomo-noca.org/features/2026/4/24/warnecke-csm

What I found is that CSM's architecture still carries much of its original ambition: to give a public community college the dignity, presence, and sense of purpose usually associated with a university. 

If you have time, go check it out. I think you may fall in love with the campus the way I have.

Two years ago, while taking photo classes at the College of San Mateo, I started noticing the architecture: concrete colonnades, folded-plate rooflines, reflecting pools, formal axes, and a library that clearly had been designed as the visual center of the campus.

When I tried to learn more, I found surprisingly little that was easy to access beyond a paragraph here or there.

I’m not an architect, but I spent the past several months researching the campus, its architect John Carl Warnecke, and the short-lived Neo-Formalist movement it belongs to. Docomomo US/Northern California has now published the article.

What I found is that CSM's architecture still carries much of its original ambition: to give a public community college the dignity, presence, and sense of purpose usually associated with a university. 

If you’re in the Bay Area, go check it out. I think you may fall in love with the campus the way I have.

Article here: https://www.docomomo-noca.org/features/2026/4/24/warnecke-csm

Two years ago, while taking photo classes at the College of San Mateo, I started noticing the architecture: concrete colonnades, folded-plate rooflines, reflecting pools, formal axes, and a library that clearly had been designed as the visual center of the campus.

When I tried to learn more, I found surprisingly little that was easy to access beyond a paragraph here or there.

I’m not an architect, but I spent the past several months researching the campus, its architect John Carl Warnecke, and the short-lived Neo-Formalist movement it belongs to. Docomomo US/Northern California has now published the article.

What I found is that CSM's architecture still carries much of its original ambition: to give a public community college the dignity, presence, and sense of purpose usually associated with a university. 

If you’re in the Bay Area, go check it out. I think you may fall in love with the campus the way I have.

Article here: https://www.docomomo-noca.org/features/2026/4/24/warnecke-csm