The renovation of The Women’s Building was triggered by the need to seismically upgrade the 37,000 square foot Landmark Building to satisfy the city of San Francisco’s ordinance on unreinforced masonry buildings. Due to the historic nature of the structure, which was built in 1910 in the Mission Revival style to house the German Gymnasium, deliberate care was taken to ensure that elements of the historic detailing were preserved during the building’s transformation from its most recent use as the Turneverein Society Hall into a community center and gathering place for women with a new form and spirit.
The program for The Women’s Building included an auditorium, a cafe, meeting rooms, a childcare center, an information and referral center, public meeting spaces and offices of various sizes to accommodate the more than thirty women’s and girls organizations that the SF Women’s Center currently sponsors. Workshops were held with building users, staff and the community to determine the space requirements of the various groups and to reflect these in the new configuration of the interior spaces. The design uses a spiral core to create a sense of community within the building.
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