Hallidie Building
Encyclopedia
The Hallidie Building is an office building in the Financial District
of San Francisco, California
, at 130 Sutter Street, between Montgomery Street
and Kearny Street
. It was built around 1917-1918 and, though credited as the first American building to feature glass
curtain wall
s, it was in fact predated by Louis Curtiss
' Boley Clothing Company building in Kansas City, Missouri, completed in 1909.
The building was designed by architect Willis Polk
and is named in honor of San Francisco cable car pioneer Andrew Smith Hallidie
. Currently it houses the San Francisco chapters of the American Institute of Architects
, AIGA
, Center for Architecture + Design, the US Green Building Council, Charles M Salter Associates,Inc, and Coordinated Resources, Inc (CRI).
The Hallidie Building was deemed unsafe by the City of San Francisco's Department of Building Inspection in August 2010. The building's balconies and fire escapes are considered unsafe.
Financial District, San Francisco, California
The Financial District is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California, that serves as its main central business district. The nickname "FiDi" is occasionally employed, analogous to nearby SoMa.-Location:...
of San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, at 130 Sutter Street, between Montgomery Street
Montgomery Street
Montgomery Street is a north-south thoroughfare in San Francisco, California, in the United States.It runs about 16 blocks from the Telegraph Hill neighborhood south through downtown, terminating at Market Street. South of Columbus Avenue, Montgomery Street runs through the heart of San Francisco's...
and Kearny Street
Kearny Street
Kearny Street in San Francisco, California runs north from Market Street to The Embarcadero, with a gap on Telegraph Hill. Toward its south end, it separates the Financial District from the Union Square and Chinatown districts. Further north, it passes over Telegraph Hill.-History:Kearny Street...
. It was built around 1917-1918 and, though credited as the first American building to feature glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
curtain wall
Curtain wall
A curtain wall is an outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are non-structural, but merely keep out the weather. As the curtain wall is non-structural it can be made of a lightweight material reducing construction costs. When glass is used as the curtain wall, a great advantage is...
s, it was in fact predated by Louis Curtiss
Louis Curtiss
Louis Singleton Curtiss, was a Canadian-born American architect. Notable as a pioneer of the curtain wall design, he was once described as "the Frank Lloyd Wright of Kansas City", Missouri. In his career, he designed more than 200 buildings, though not all were realized...
' Boley Clothing Company building in Kansas City, Missouri, completed in 1909.
The building was designed by architect Willis Polk
Willis Polk
Willis Jefferson Polk was an American architect best known for his work in San Francisco, California.-Life:He was born in Jacksonville, Illinois and was related to United States President James Polk....
and is named in honor of San Francisco cable car pioneer Andrew Smith Hallidie
Andrew Smith Hallidie
Andrew Smith Hallidie was the promoter of the Clay Street Hill Railroad in San Francisco, USA. This was the world's first practical cable car system, and Hallidie is often therefore regarded as the inventor of the cable car and father of the present day San Francisco cable car system, although...
. Currently it houses the San Francisco chapters of the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
, AIGA
Aiga
‘Aiga is a word in the Samoan language which means 'family.' The aiga is the family unit of Samoan society and differs from the Western sense in that it consists more than just a mother, father and children. The Samoan family, also referred to as an 'extended family' is based on the culture's...
, Center for Architecture + Design, the US Green Building Council, Charles M Salter Associates,Inc, and Coordinated Resources, Inc (CRI).
The Hallidie Building was deemed unsafe by the City of San Francisco's Department of Building Inspection in August 2010. The building's balconies and fire escapes are considered unsafe.