Fortunately, the Pavilion (guest retreat)

and  tramway  is  now in the ownership and superb care of Buzz Woolley

The  pavilion  remains La Jolla’s best kept secret,

only sea lions, seals and surfers know of it.

The retreat’s remote location was the principal reason for the mushroom shape

in that, the architect’s design had to honor natures mightiest destructive force and be capable of resisting:

Not just tidal waves, rock slides, earthquakes, fire, wind or rain storms . . . .but KIDS

Draw bridge to

tram rail and cart

Tom Atkinson,   one of San Diego’s

finest structural engineer

Because of the unusual nature

of the project, workmen

walked off of the job, requiring

the three owners of the tram

company to install the last 100

feet of the tramway railing with

help from Jack Schultz

ELEVATOR ELECTRIC CO.

designer and builder of the

1st glass elevator in San Diego

designed and constructed the

300 foot tramway.

Post hole placement was

extremely difficult due to

workman’s weight not being able

to be plied above the digging tool.

Faced with the extraordinary challenge

of developing access to the beach and

guest retreat the owner assembled a

design team to innovate.

                                                                                                                                In 1960 Sam Bell

heir to General Mills (Bell Potato Chips) purchased a summer home with a spectacular view of the

Pacific Ocean.  His property extended down a 300 foot cliff to the mean high tide line of the surf below.

His beach is isolated 4 miles from public access to the North, and is accessible only at low tide through

rugged, slippery rocks from the south, and remains unused and out of sight. Only surfers, 100 yards away can see the mushroom shape of the guest retreat

Dale Naegle F.A.I.A. - Architect

dalenaeglearchitect.com