Door #21 -- April 22, 2012

Willis K Polk designed the Jessie Street Substation in 1909.  It was a plain brick box, with some beautiful decorations, especially around the doors.  In recent years, the facade became part of the Contemporary Jewish Museum (http://www.thecjm.org/).

Dance of the Cranes -- March 30, 2012

For the last month or so, we have been watching these cranes pick pieces off of a building on Folsom Street.  Lately the workers have been dismantling a structure on the roof.  Every day there are loud booms and crashes that shake our building.  I think the workers enjoy it when they set off car alarms. 

Yesterday I got to work and found fencing stacked up on Third Street.  There were ladders and rolling platforms in the lobby, with a bunch of workers.  One got into the elevator with us.  I asked what was going on.  He said they were going to tear out the lobby and the plaza and open it all up.  When I got to my desk, I found an email about it.  For six months, they will be working in our building.  They have walled off all of the lobby except the elevator lobby.  We can use only one entrance.  They fenced off our half of the plaza.  Next week they will demolish the plaza and the lobby.  Should be noisy.

Pile Drivers B&S I W -- October 27, 2009

I spotted this terrazzo in a doorway on Bryant between Second and Third Street. Is "B & S I W" "Bridge & Structural Iron Workers"?

Lawrence Halprin died. His designs didn't always work, but he created some nice public spaces.

It was very windy today.