Modern Moai
You may not have noticed them before, but a gauntlet of Rapanui-inspired moai guard the entrance of San Diego’s Polynesian-themed Shelter Island. Known as the “Shelter Island Sentinels,” these hidden faces have adorned bus stops, benches, fences, and traffic bollards along Shelter Island Drive since 1984!
These modern sculptural touches were part of the Port of San Diego’s Shelter Island Improvement Project of 1982-1984. It was all part of the Shelter Island Precise Plan proposed as early as 1976, and adopted in 1980. Initial design sketches looked decidedly more tribal than the final “tiki-modern” style built.
The project to “modify street, curb and gutter; install landscaping, street trees, irrigation, street furnishings, sculpture,” was put out to bid. The San Diego Port District board awarded the project to the L.R. Hubbard Construction Co. Leon R. “Lee” Hubbard Jr. (1928-1983), was a San Diego city councilmember, civic leader and founder of LR Hubbard Construction — not to be confused with Lafayette Ron Hubbard (1911-1986) of Scientology.
The landscaping was subcontracted to Kawasaki Theilacker & Associates (now, KTUA), landscape architects, headed up by Michael Arthur Theilacker (1937-2019) and Frank Kawasaki.
The Sentinels were designed by Don Fumeo Ueno from Kawasaki Theilacker & Associates as part of their Shelter Island Landscape Project, for LR Hubbard Construction, throughout 1982-1984. A designer at the time, Ueno, went on to become a partner in the firm.
Polynesian Pareidolia
The original entry sign was designed as a black lava wall with cast brass letters spelling out “Shelter Island” (for you font nerds, in the presstype font, Book Jacket Italic).
On your way to Bali Hai for a mai tai? As you passed the Shelter Island sign, twenty Sentinels originally lined each side of the corridor — silently echoing stone moai on Easter Island. The Sentinel faces still appear throughout the landscape project, although many of the redwood traffic bollards have disappeared due to age and insect damage.
Next time you’re there, try counting the faces!
If you’re walking, check out the low lava wall just south of The Brigantine. Under some flowering bougainvillea, look for the brass plaque dedicating the improvement project to “Mister San Diego,” Lee Hubbard, who passed in 1983 as the project was being completed.
LR Hubbard Construction, contractor
Kawasaki Theilacker & Associates, landscape architects
Phase I completed 7 Jul 1983.
Phase II completed 6 Jul 1984
Phase III Landscaping started 27 Sep 1984, completed 24 Aug 1984
Notes
Citation: Martin S. Lindsay. ‘The Shelter Island Sentinels.’ Classic San Diego: tasty bites from the history of America’s finest city. Web. < https://classicsandiego.com/tiki/shelter-island-sentinels/>, 2024.
“Subareas 12 (shelter Island Point), 13 (Bay Corridor), and 14 (Entrance Corridor),” Precise Plan, San Diego Unified Port District (San Diego, California), rev 28 Mar 1980, pg 62.
Planning department sign design and street furniture sketches, dated 6 Apr 1976, [rev 9/78, sheet number 1015114] are from “Typical Sign Design Features,” Precise Plan, Planning District 1, Shelter Island / La Playa, San Diego Unified Port District (San Diego, California), 1980, pp 66-67.
Alison DaRosa, “Shelter Island gets $2.2 million for renovation,” The Evening Tribune (San Diego, CA), 16 Jun 1981.
“$2 Million Contract Is Awarded For Shelter Island Renewal Work,” The San Diego Union (San Diego, California), 8 Sep 1982.
“Close to Home,” San Diego Tribune (San Diego, CA), 8 Sep 1982, pg A-2.
Plans obtained through public records request to the Port of San Diego archives. Kawasaki & Theilacker, “Landscape Construction Details (Fence, Bollard, Curb, & Bike Rack),” blueprint plan, Shelter Island Landscape Project, San Diego Unified Port District (San Diego, California), 1984, item 5, sheet C18, drawing 1199.