Santana Row is a European-style village in the heart of San Jose filled with upscale shops, international dining options, courtyards, fountains, intimate public seating areas, and live music on weekends. It offers an artfully designed oasis in Silicon Valley to socialize and unwind. It’s simply a beautiful place and I like spending time there.

The designers of Santana Row went to great lengths to import found objects such as antique doors, metal window grates, and elegantly designed painted emblems. They used these objects to decorate blank walls and service garages throughout the mixed-use development. These old world doors were brilliantly used to mask utility closets.

On this visit to Santana Row, I wasn’t alone in my quest to photograph these old-world doors. A line of people with cameras waited their turn to take selfies and portraits next to these beauties. It’s as if the doors were a major tourist attraction.

After waiting for the “crowd” to disperse, I finally got my turn. I believe these lovely doors were worth the wait. How about you?

A closer look at the hardware details on the doors.

An example of an antique window grillwork placed on a colorful blank wall.

About the Design of Santana Row:

Santana Row is one of the country’s largest urban districts of mixed-use development and covers over 42 acres. The design work happened over the course of five years. The placemaking task meant coordination of hundreds of designers, artisans, and fabricators. Found objects such as a French chapel façade, antique metalwork, pottery, and fountains were imported from Europe and reconstructed on site to add a sense of history and patina. Custom designed and fabricated items included metal work, custom tiles, custom lanterns, chandeliers, fountains, street plaques, corner guards, and portals. The designers even named the streets, created building and residential identities with supporting logos, signs, addresses, and entry details. Quoted from: https://segd.org/content/santana-row.

Inspiration: Thursday Doors.