| San Jose's downtown architecture is | | | | expulsion of most of the city's |
| noted more for its limited height than | | | | Californio (early Spanish or Mexican) |
| for any particular buildings. Because | | | | residents. In October 1991 after |
| the downtown area is in the flight path | | | | protests in part of Columbus Day and Dia |
| to nearby Mineta San Jose International | | | | de La Raza celebrations, the Fallon |
| Airport, there is a permanent height | | | | statue plan was scrapped and the statue |
| limit for all buildings. There has been | | | | was stored in a warehouse in Oakland for |
| broad criticism over the past few | | | | more than a decade. The statue was |
| decades of the city's architecture. | | | | returned to public display in 2002, |
| Citizens have complained[weasel words] | | | | albeit in a less conspicuous location: |
| that San Jose's buildings are, in fact, | | | | Pellier Park, a small triangular patched |
| rather lacking in ornamentation, or | | | | formed by the merge of West Julian and |
| aesthetically pleasing architectural | | | | West St. James streets. |
| style. The thorough re-development of | | | | In 2001, the city sponsored SharkByte, |
| the downtown area in the 1960s to the | | | | an exhibit of decorated sharks, based on |
| present, in which whole blocks of | | | | the mascot of the hockey team, the San |
| buildings were razed, has often been | | | | Jose Sharks, and modeled after Chicago's |
| blamed for this[attribution needed]. | | | | display of decorated cows. Large models |
| Exceptions to this include the Downtown | | | | of sharks were decorated in a variety of |
| Historic District, the De Anza Hotel, | | | | clever, colorful, or creative ways by |
| and the Hotel Sainte Claire, all of | | | | local artists and were then displayed |
| which are listed in the National | | | | for months at dozens of locations around |
| Register of Historic Places for their | | | | the city. Many displays were removed |
| architectural significance. | | | | early because of vandalism. After the |
| Municipal building projects have | | | | exhibition, the sharks were auctioned |
| experimented more with architectural | | | | off and the proceeds donated to charity. |
| styles than have most private | | | | The sharks can still be found in their |
| enterprises. The Children's Discovery | | | | new owners' homes and businesses. |
| Museum, Tech Museum of Innovation, and | | | | In 2006, Adobe Systems in commissioned a |
| the San Jose Repertory Theater building | | | | kinetic art installation titled San Jose |
| have experimented with bold colors and | | | | Semaphore by Ben Rubin, which resides at |
| unusual exteriors. The new City Hall, | | | | the top of its headquarters building. |
| designed by Richard Meier & Partners | | | | Semaphore is comprised of four lighted |
| opened in 2005 and is a notable addition | | | | discs which "rotate" to transmit a |
| to the growing collection of municipal | | | | message. The content of the San Jose |
| building projects. | | | | Semaphore’s message is a mystery; |
| Public art is an evolving attraction in | | | | cracking the encryption technique and |
| the city. The City was one of the first | | | | deciphering the message is posed as a |
| to adopt a public art ordinance at 2% of | | | | challenge for the public. The visual art |
| capital improvement building project | | | | installation is supplemented with an |
| budgets, and the results of this | | | | audio track, transmitted from the |
| commitment are beginning to have an | | | | building on a low-power AM station. The |
| impact on the visual landscape of the | | | | audio track provides clues to decode the |
| City. There is a considerable amount of | | | | message being transmitted. |
| pieces throughout the downtown area, and | | | | The city is home to many performance |
| a growing collection in the City's | | | | arts, including Opera San Jose, Symphony |
| neighborhood newer civic locations | | | | Silicon Valley, Ballet San Jose Silicon |
| including libraries, parks, and fire | | | | Valley, Children's Musical Theater of |
| stations. Of particular note, the Mineta | | | | San Jose (recognized as the largest and |
| Airport expansion will incorporate a | | | | most talented youth theatre company in |
| program of Art & Technology into its | | | | the nation), the San Jose Repertory |
| development. | | | | Theatre, and American Musical Theatre of |
| Within the early efforts at public art, | | | | San Jose. San Jose also is home to the |
| there are notable controversies. Two | | | | San Jose Museum of Art,[23] one of the |
| examples, include the statue of | | | | nation's premiere Modern Art museums. In |
| Quetzalcoatl (the plumed serpent) in | | | | addition, the annual Cinequest Film |
| downtown which was controversial in its | | | | Festival in downtown has grown to over |
| planning because some religious groups | | | | 60,000 attendees per year, becoming an |
| felt that it was pagan, and | | | | important festival for independent |
| controversial in its implementation | | | | films. |
| because many felt that the final statue | | | | The HP Pavilion is one of the most |
| by Robert Graham did not closely | | | | active venues for events in the world. |
| resemble a winged serpent, and was more | | | | According to Billboard Magazine and |
| noted for its expense than its | | | | Pollstar, the arena sold the most |
| aesthetics. This has resulted in a | | | | tickets to non-sporting events of any |
| common inside joke among locals, who | | | | venue in the United States, and third in |
| insist it closely resembles a piece of | | | | the world after the Manchester Evening |
| feces. | | | | News Arena in Manchester, England, and |
| The statue of Thomas Fallon also met | | | | the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, |
| strong resistance from those who felt | | | | Canada, for the period from January 1 |
| that people like him were largely | | | | – September 30, 2004. Including |
| responsible for the decimation of early | | | | sporting events, the HP Pavilion |
| native populations and Chicano/Latino | | | | averages 184 events a year, or roughly |
| activists protested he captured San Jose | | | | one event for every two days, which is |
| by violent force in the Mexican-American | | | | significantly higher than the average |
| war (1846) as well "repressed" historic | | | | for NHL arenas. |
| documents of Fallon ordered the | | | | |