Hutton Wilkinson * Tony Duquette Inc. is a full service interior design firm based in Beverly Hills with current projects in Los Angeles, New York, Palm Beach and Thailand with completed projects in Paris, Venice, Hawaii and Saudi Arabia.
Canticle of the Sun of Saint Francis of Assisi, San Francisco, 1987
In the 1980s Tony Duquette purchased an abandoned and vandalized synagogue in San Francisco and turned the historic building into the Duquette pavilion of St. Francis naming it for the patron saint of the city. Duquette used the pavilion to create a celebrational environment which he called “The Canticle of the Sun of Saint Francis of Assisi”. With computerized lighting, specially composed music by Herb Alpert, and words written by Ray Bradbury along with sculptures and tapestries of his own invention, Duquette opened the building to the public. The exhibition which incorporated his “angel” exhibition brought up from Los Angeles, would be destroyed several years later in a freak electrical fire which consumed most of Duquette’s original works of art, collections of rare antiques and the entire building.
An overview of the interior of the main room at the Duquette pavilion of Saint Francis in San Francisco. The room was 80 x 80 feet square and 80 feet high to the central dome. c. 1987.
The exterior of the old Jewish synagogue located on Geary Ave between Fillmore and Steiner in San Francisco which Tony Duquette purchased and restored adding his own individual touches as a home for his celebratory environment “Our Lady Queen of the Angels” an a new installation honoring the patron saint of the city of San Francisco, Saint Francis of Assisi Canticle of the Sun. The building had been obscenely vandalized, burned and abandoned before Tony Duquette saved its life and turned it into his San Francisco headquarters.
Interior of the synagogue before restoration
Interior of the synagogue before restoration. The room was 80 x 80 feet square and 80 feet high to the central dome. c. 1987’s.
Tony Duquette with his goddaughter Liza Minnelli who performed “I see a new sun up in a new sky” from the bandwagon accompanied by Michael Fienstein on piano as a gift for Tony and Beegle on the occasion of the opening of the Duquette pavilion in San Francisco. c. 1987.
The basement hallway with doors covered in crushed abalone shell, Duquette incorporated the spray painted graffiti into his new decor.
One of the double marble staircases at the Duquette pavilion in San Francisco. Tony Duquette has marbleized the walls and railing and added carved jewel post finials from Thailand. The walls are hung with a collection of Duquette fabric mosaic tapestries. Duquette has covered the corner cupboards in crushed abalone and installed abalone encrusted urns holding bouquets of bead flowers with seashells and coral branches. The antler and shell console and mirror is one of a pair. c. 1987.
Tony Duquette’s “Valentine to a Mythical Bird” as it was exhibited at the Duquette pavilion in San Francisco c. 1987. The antique malachite covered frame holds lighted resin eggs and a central mandala made of mirror, feather, felt and wire. Mote the leopard lame paneling and dipped plaster coral swagged drapery
The Duquette pavilion was destroyed by fire on February 16, 1989.
The duquette pavilion after the fire, 1989.
The Duquette pavilion after restoration.
The monumental front window of the Duquette pavilion being constructed at the Duquette studios in Los Angeles.
The interior of the Duquette pavilion of Saint Francis on Geary Blvd., in San Francisco showing the main altar surmounted by a sunburst sculpture. The sculpture was constructed with pipes from the original pipe organ which had been installed in the building. There is an 18th century figure of Saint. Francis of Assisi preaching a sermon to a flock of Rajputani Indian clay birds. Duquette has applied 18th century Venetian carvings, electrified candelabra and dipped plaster draperies to complete his mise-en-scène c. 1987’s.
A fabric mosaic tapestry by Tony Duquette “Sun Over San Francisco” installed under the balcony at the Duquette pavilion of Saint Francis, San Francisco, circa 1987.
Looking back towards the entrance from the alter in the main room at the Duquette pavilion of Saint Francis in San Francisco. Tony Duquette has hung tapestries of his own creation referring to the life of Saint Francis of Assisi and his disciples “Brother Sun, Sister Moon” around the floor level of the room. On the balcony which encircles the room he has installed his celebratory environment “Our Lady Queen of the Angels” behind scrim so that the angels and tapestries appear and disappear with the assistance of computerized lighting. c. 1987’s.
The entrance doors and entrance hall of the Duquette pavilion were lined with crushed abalone and decorated with a Duquette metal sunburst sculpture.