City Hall

The city hall's grandeur was symbolic for the growing importance of the city of San Francisco.

The current building replaced the Old City Hall which opened in 1899 after 27 years of construction. In 1906, only 7 years after its completion, this domed building was destroyed by the disastrous earthquake of 1906.

In 1912 a competition was organized to choose a design for a new city hall, which was to be the central building of the planned Civic Center. The winning proposal was submitted by architect Arthur Brown, responsible for many other buildings in San Francisco, including the Opera House and the Coit Tower. Brown's classical design was influenced by his studies at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. The building, constructed between 1913 and 1915, uses many classic design elements like the portico and doric columns. The interior features beautiful stuccoed walls and ceilings, marble floors and elegant lanterns.

On October 17, 1989 an earthquake of magnitude 7.1 hit San Francisco, damaging the City Hall. Its dome had moved 4 inches (10cm) and cracks appeared in the wall.
A thorough renovation, completed in 1999, not only repaired the damage; it also restored the building to its original splendor and made the building seismic-proof. This was achieved by isolating the building from its foundation by installing an isolation layer of rubber and steel discs under the building. The layer protects the historic building by absorbing the seismic shocks.