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Ferry Building Renovation

San Francisco, California   

Designed by A. Page Brown, San Francisco's Ferry Building is a landmark at the foot of Market Street which withstood major earthquakes in 1906 and 1989 and has welcomed millions of ferry passengers to San Francisco. Currently this graceful building serves as a daily point of arrival and departure for thousands of East and North Bay commuters.    The renovation by Wilson Meany and the Port of San Francisco provides over 100,000 square feet of office space and a revitalized marketplace.   HLB worked with SMWM and BCV Architects on the renovation of the public areas of this historic building as well as façade lighting and exterior area lighting.  

The project included a restored central nave illuminated by indirect lighting as well as focused architectural lighting.   The indirect lighting accentuates the height of the space, providing soft uniform illumination from concealed sources and creating a uniform, nighttime appearance through the clearstories.   The accent lighting mounted at the trusses uses more theatrical angles and narrow beamspreads to illuminate circulation areas and feature elements of the restoration such as a tile medallion of the Seal of California.   Additional layers of architectural lighting provide retail lighting for the shops and markets as well as general illumination of passageways that connect the Embarcadero to the ferries.

Although budget limitations precluded the recreation of the historic pendants that once hung in each bay of the nave, the outline of lamps on the bottom of each truss were re-installed giving the nave a festive, historic appearance.   Since no historic lighting remains in the building, the design team pursued a modern, timeless, and simple palette of new light fixtures with a slightly industrial feel keeping with the transportation-based function of the building.   The project included restaurants, shops, and market halls – one for meat and seafood and the other for fruits, vegetables, and flowers.

The facade lighting consists of uplighting to accentuate the pairs of Corinthian columns that form the five bays of the central entry pavilion, the pedestals for these columns and the arched windows that run the length of the building.   This uplighting highlights the detail of the column capitals, reinforces the rhythm of the arched openings and provides nearly continuous illumination of the building's entablature.   The tower was illuminated by roof mounted floodlights and uplights behind the columns at the top of the tower creating silhouettes and highlighting the multiple cornice lines.   The illuminated flag and internal illumination of a small gold glass dome top the 240-foot tall tower.   New lighting in the plazas around the building including the waterfront promenade provide appropriate light levels for pedestrian circulation as well of outdoor café seating during warmer months.

Our firm is proud to be a part of the preservation and renewal of such a treasured San Francisco icon.  The lighting design for this project has been recognized with an IIDA Golden Gate Section Award.