Tales of pirates, shipwrecks and gold are part of the legacy of San Francisco's Barbary Coast, where bars and brothels were the focal point of a boom town caught in the euphoria of a gold rush.
Two hundred and fity years later, only a few waterfront warehouses remain as monuments to that era, and they are at the heart of a renaissance as businesses and redevelop them.
Advertising agency TBWA/Chiat/Day occupied one of these warehouses, which had been renovated into traditional offices. They wanted to transform it into an architecturally dramatic and functional space that would inspire its staff yet be a comfortable place to work.
Architectural firm Marmol Radziner was contracted to completely overhaul the space, says design partner Ron Radziner.
'Our clients required a building with a strong architectural identity,' he says. 'They wanted a clear sense of entry, connection between the floors and an infusion of warmth and light, to counteract San Francisco's notorious fog.'
The first step was to strip down the interior to the bare walls. Beneath the veneer were timber columns, a post and beam structure, masnry brick walls and a lattice of Douglas fir beams supporting the ceilings.
Building from these basic elements, Marmol Radziner also looked to the site and its history for design ideas, says project manager Anna Hill.
'The warehouse is close to Pier 17 and is built on landfill that includes sunken ships,' she says. 'We drew on that foundation by using shipping materials like cork, burlap and wood planks, producing a colour palette with natural warmth.'
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