University of California, San Diego

Book excerpt: Founded during the space-age boom of the 1950s, the University of California, San Diego campus showcases some ofCalifornia's finest postwar architecture. Perched dramatically above the Pacific Ocean, the campus architecture ranges from spare sixties concrete structures to light, open California modernists designs and, from the new millennium, buildings that reflect the latest ideas about connecting buildings with the student community. University of California, San Diego is both a history of campus planning and growth and a series of map-guided walking tours of its architectural landmarks, including visits to buildings by world-renowned architects, such as Antoine Predock, Michael Rotondi, and Moshe Safdie.