By Maureen Neeley
Belmont Heights lost a creative, kind and talented resident on July 3, 2021. Architect Jonathan Glasgow was born in Charlotte, Michigan and is survived by his husband, Sergio Zendejas, as well as other family in the Midwest.
Jon moved to Long Beach in the late 1980s, starting his firm, Interstices Architecture. The name means “the space in-between,” a fitting testament to a talented yet modest man. The firm tackled some of Long Beach’s most innovative and iconic projects such as the adaptive reuse of the Walker Building, the Kress Lofts, Courtyard Lofts and a host of mid-century restorations by the City’s residential giants like Paul Tay, Cliff May, Kenneth Wing, and Ed Killingsworth.
Despite his high-profile clientele, Jon remained exceedingly humble. He loved this City and this neighborhood. He was always willing to consult on civic and neighborhood projects and never shied away from saying what needed to be said, reminding City leaders that architecture matters.
Jon was a touchstone for Belmont Heights, joking that he was an interloper, living in the “14” while just across the street lay the “03.” BHCA leadership often called upon him for advice on upcoming legislation and zoning practices. His patience with the cacophony of daily life was boundless, even though his design sense was assaulted on all levels! He endured our signal box painting schemes with sighs. “Why are we highlighting these pieces of street blight? We should make them recede!” The box on 4th and Termino is a nod to his streamlined aesthetic.
He often said, “Not every building has to be a star; simplistic design lets the major structures shine.” The joy of Jon was that he never tried to be a star; he just designed the way he knew things should be. He lived his life that way too.
We miss you, Jonathan Glasgow.
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