Joesler, who set Tucson's architectural "tone", featured in exhibition.

Driving or walking about Tucson's older neighborhoods, it's difficult not to see the influence of Josias Joesler. An eclecticist responsible for bringing "Spanish Colonial Revival" and "Pueblo Revival" style to Tucson, he is best known for St. Phillip's Church and Plaza, Broadway Village Shopping Center, and the Catalina Foothills Estates residential subdivision.

He's largely if not entirely responsible for the tendency in Tucson to make buildings appear older than they are. At his best, his works are near-paragons of the art of building with the desert landscape. At his worst, he was a pastiche artist. For better or for worse, he largely set the "tone" for development in central Tucson and the Catalina Foothills; many more "modern" developments including Casas Adobes Plaza show his influence. As reported in the Daily Star, through 21 August the University of Arizona Library's special collections department is featuring a Joesler exhibit, consisting of original plans, concept drawings, and photographs of his buildings.