Matson Building and Annex - San Francisco, CA
Posted by: 
saopaulo1
N 37° 47.571 W 122° 23.808
10S E 553108 N 4183003
A historic building on Market St.
Waymark Code: WMHMEC
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 07/23/2013
Views: 5
"The sixteen story Matson Building, designed by Bliss & Faville and built between 1922 and 1924, is one of a series of Chicago School skyscrapers built during the 1910s and 1920s which give San Francisco its downtown character.
The Matson Building closes a grand view down Pine Street and pairs admirably with the adjacent Pacific Gas and Electric General Office Building.
The Matson Building is a very fine example of the tall office building designed as a column. The arcaded, four-story capital is rich in omamanetation, contrasting with the quietly rusticated nine central stories of shaft. The rich four-story base repeats the proportions of the top with three-story columns and a fourth intermediary story interrupted by the central entry arch.
The fine terra cotta detailing is typical of Bliss and Faville. They sheathed the main elevations in a cream colored terra cotta with a somewhat reflective sheen. A second color, turquoise blue-green, was used on certain blocks to provide a background tone or to emphasize relief. They designed custom ornamental details to symbolize the building's owner and chief occupant, the Matson Navigation Company, a leading freight and passenger carrier between the West Coast and Hawaii.
The Matson Building was enlarged in 1945-1947. The addition duplicated both the exterior and interior of the original building and is fully interconnected with the main structure." (
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