901 Battery

Although you can’t judge a book by its cover, you will judge a building by its façade and lobby. And if you are in the business of providing noteworthy building addresses and desirable office space, the power of both these things cannot be overlooked.

The Swig Company, a San Francisco development firm with a 75+ year history in commercial real estate, wanted to increase their return on investment at 901 Battery on San Francisco’s waterfront. FENNIE+MEHL’s charge was to attract creative, influential businesses as tenants by repositioning the look and feel of the entire building.

The former 1920s manufacturing warehouse for the Petri Cigar Company needed a makeover. Badly. F+M strengthened the total building package by first creating a dynamic street presence, then rescued the dingy and completely unremarkable lobbies.

By exposing and featuring the building’s high volume space, and using back-painted glass, blackened structural steel, raw concrete and crisp white surfaces accented with a pop of color, 901 Battery now has a modern yet timeless industrial design aesthetic. One that’s suited for their sophisticated tenant base.

Today Swig owns an upscale office building that creative design, media and public relations firms call home.

Photographer: Robert Canfield