Club House Renovations

Soon after the catastrophic 1923 Berkeley Fire leveled the Hillside Club’s original Maybeck-designed Club House, members banded together to finance the construction of a building to replace it. They commissioned Maybeck’s brother-in-law, John White, to design a new Club House.

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White’s new structure rose quickly. It was dedicated and put into use in 1924. The updated Club House preserved the beloved “First Bay Tradition” style of Maybeck’s original Club House while augmenting it with facilities better able to accomodate and showcase the emerging enthusiasms of local members.

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As of early 2024, close inspection revealed that a century of loving wear-and-tear had taken its toll on the Hillside Club’s charming, iconic meeting space. The classic “simple” redwood shingles sheathing the Club House’s exterior walls had weathered to the point of severe decay. The production support facilities in its basement dressing rooms were rough and substandard, frustrating performers trying to use them. The hall and its stage’s sound and lighting equipment were very outdated and inflexible, often limiting the range and quality of performers willing to appear at the Club. The Club House’s gardens and public spaces are also well overdue for rethinking and upgrading.

Over the past two years club members and community supporters have stepped up to support significant upgrades to the club house, with more projects coming soon.

Bringing the club to life - Vivid ornamentation now lends the hall opulence, adds to visual interest, and dynamically projects craftsmanship intrinsic in the space. Monumental drapes embrace the new palette with a border design featuring the club’s logo. They add warmth, improve acoustics, and instill a sense of pride. Cleaned and restored pendant lighting and sconces continue to enhance performances and club gatherings. Upgraded audio, video and lighting systems provide an outsanding space for all kinds of musical performance, theater, opera, films and more. These improvements provide visual evidence of the club’s continuing role as a vibrant cultural node where history, art, and civic engagement thrive. 

Providing sound infrastructure for the future - Critical to ensuring the club house can live up to its potential requires significant work on the foundational elements of the building. In the past 18 months we have replaced the majority of the club house roof, installed freshly-split shake siding fashioned from a single, long-fallen old growth tree trunk along the entire south wall, replaced badly damaged flooring in the dressing rooms and made a number of smaller improvements to the overall functionality of the club. 

We are grateful for the support to help enhance our beautiful Club House.

THE NEXT PHASE

In 2026 we are embarking on an additional set of major projects to ensure the club house can be enjoyed for decades to come. Key projects include additional work on the building's infrastructure, as well as ongoing enhancements to the interior. 

Planned projects include:

• Shake siding replacement of the west wall - Urgent due to deterioration

• Shake siding replacement of the east wall - Important due to deterioration and access to new yard, which will make it more visible

• Shake siding replacement of the north wall - Important due to deterioration and visibility

• Interior staining - complete the restoration of the main hall to its original state to improve and honor its historic look and feel

• Additional basement floor replacement- to ensure a safe environment for our performers, members and staff

• Roof coating for flat roof - finish work on the remaining sections of roof to ensure a well protected building

• Replace the industrial looking front handrails - improve architectural consistency of club’s accessible access to porch entryway

• Exterior painting - strip and repaint all exterior wood trim (doors/windows)

• Green room remodel - Install new carpeting and light fixtures to provide a more welcoming space for performers

• Additional projects under consideration include

  • Upgrading windows (especially front facing) to improve their soundproofing and     

       weatherproofing capabilities

• Install battery storage for the solar power system