An Architectural Guide To SF's Best Brutalist Buildings

By: Kyrie Sismaet By: Kyrie Sismaet | January 24, 2023 | Home & Real Estate, Feature, City Life, Architecture, News and Features, Neighborhoods, Travel, Art, Local, Community, Creators, Apple News,

San Francisco is an eclectic collection of the most historic and ornate architectural styles, though one integral aesthetic particularly contrasts all the rest through its resistance to such extravagant embellishments. Strikingly minimal, captivatingly raw, and unapologetically functional, brutalism is a charming, yet divisive aesthetic prevalent all throughout the Bay Area.

First proliferating in the mid-century as a way to showcase strength and progress through bold simplicity and innovative geometry, many of these towering structures now remain as storied landmarks highly Instagrammable for their massive uniformity. Here is our guide on where to find the best brutalism buildings in San Francisco for when you desire to explore the city and see them in person.

First emerging in the 1950s, the origins of this utilitarian construction method stem from the creative capital of France, where architect Le Corbusier focused on highlighting concrete typically hidden and decorated as it was considered incomplete and unattractive. The reason for exposing such unseen foundations in such avante-garde fashion came as a postwar decision to convey more structure, power, honesty, and a fuller reverence for the raw materials.

The style was named "béton brut," translating to "raw concrete" in English, which became widely known as "brutalism" through an essay by British architecture critic Reyner Banham in 1955.

As brutalism's philosophy and popularity spread around the world, it particularly had a charming appeal for mid-century Bay Area urban planners, as its blocky strength could not only fit within the growing infrastructure of highway projects and new government centers, but also convey modern innovation and strength.

Although the brutalist era's movement tapered off in the 70s for more futuristic post-modern designs, the mighty presence of such robust structures truly crafted an indellible effect on both the SF Bay Area's skyline and its metropolitan identity. Here are a few of the most gorgeous and evident examples.

Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption

1111 Gough St / (415) 567-2020 / Website

Symmetric, sleek, and radiantly neutral, Saint Mary's Cathedral is one of the best and largest examples of geometric brutalism. Designed by a collection famed architects, this concrete titan truly distinguishes itself from the other surrounding buildings, both with its exterior, and its marvelous interior ceiling comprised of elegant hyperbolic paraboloids.

Glen Park BART Station

2901 Diamond St / (415) 989-2278 / Website

Glen Park BART Station is the definition of a "concrete jungle." The slabs here are asymmetrical and disjointed, yet cohesive and comforting. Layered in such a pattern that provides a skylight to the tracks below, the radiant natural sunlight adds warmth and cohesion to the otherwise cold and utilitarian platforms.

Hyatt Regency

5 Embarcadero Ctr / (415) 788-1234 / Website

The Hyatt Regency immediately catches your eye when in the Embarcadero for its immense staggering of gigantic concrete rooms. Brutalism is about admiring the material through its versatile form, and this popular hotel, along with the One Embarcadero Center and intriguing Vaillancourt Fountain below it truly embody this concept.

Hilton Financial District

750 Kearny St / (415) 433-6600 / Website

Against Chinatown's many culturally ornate landmarks is the Hilton, visible with its sky-high use of concrete that angles out at the base for an inventive hotel design unlike any other. This luxurious beacon becomes even more luminous when the sun shines right off of its lavishly smooth exterior.

650 California Street/Hartford Building

The Hartford Building on 650 California Street in Chinatown was completed in 1964 and is a formidable rectangular prism that demonstrates brutalism's commitment to uniformity and minimalism, also used as the office setting in "The Doris Day Show." Just nearby is another grand example of such aesthetics, at 555 California Street, SF's fourth tallest building built in 1969.

Transamerica Pyramid

600 Montgomery St / Website

Of course we couldn't leave out our prized pyramid! Built in such a way to allow more sunlight onto the streets, the design now stands as quintessentially San Francisco.

Oakland Museum of California

1000 Oak St, Oakland / (510) 318-8400 / Website

Over in Oakland, the OMCA is another scenic stronghold of concrete. What this raw labyrinth holds inside is a spectaculary array of masterful and thought-provoking galleries, with the explorable levels placed by architect Mark Cavagnero proving just as impressive as the haven of art inside.

We hope you didn't find this edifying guide too "brutal!"

Photography by: Courtesy of alantobey/Getty Images

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