While not necessarily common, it’s not always surprising when renovation work on one space or building reveals something else that had previously been lost to time. Last year in Spain, for instance, work being done on a tapas bar revealed a bathhouse that dated back to the 12th century. There’s also the potential for a more contemporary version of those types of discoveries to emerge, as a recent find in Los Angeles demonstrates.
Sant’olina is a Mediterranean restaurant that recently opened in a prime location — on top of the Beverly Hilton. But it’s also home to a fascinating piece of art history that came into focus when the space was renovated. As Daniel Cassady at The Art Newspaper reports, there’s an ornate glass mosaic behind the bar there which dates back to when the hotel was built in 1955.
The panels of the mosaic feature mythological figures, such as Mars and Jupiter. The mosaic had been hidden behind a wall for over 20 years, but it’s now back and as evocative as ever.
Cassady writes that, according to the Hilton’s research, the mosaic was installed when the hotel was built. At the time, the rooftop space was home to the restaurant L’Escoffier. When it closed in 1994, the wall went up blocking the mosaic — which seems to be the work of Dale Owen and Robert Mallory. The mosaic’s rebirth, meanwhile, feels like a decidedly mythic rebirth.
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