A Touch of Glass: Walking Tour

Some of the best examples of modern San Franciscan architecture involve a commonly overlooked design element: Glass.
It wasn't always that way. Make-do, plain-front buildings sprang up during the frenzied years of the Gold Rush, and gingerbread-covered Victorians appeared in the decades that followed. But in 1918, San Franciscans were awestruck when Willis Polk unveiled his elegant Hallidie Building. Its stark and modern glass-curtain front was an engineering marvel—and glass-shrouded buildings have taken over the skyline ever since, from the sleek skin of Financial District skyscrapers to the ornate ceilings of a Union Square landmark.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES (1 LU)

1. Explore the use of glass as a design material from 1918 to the present day.

2. Review an in-depth history of San Francisco skyscrapers from Union Square to the Financial District.

3. Learn to recognize the design nuances of glass construction and understand what makes it unique.

4. Gain insight into the history and backstory of Willis Poke, and hear how his Hallidie Building changed the course of architecture.

Host or Publisher Center for A+D