First Market Tower

The First Market Tower is an International Style skyscraper designed by John Carl Warnecke, and built in 1973 in San Francisco, CA.

First Market Tower is not the only name you might know this building by though. The building is, or has also been known as 525 Market Street .

Its precise street address is 525 Market Street, San Francisco, CA. You can also find it on the map here.

In 2023 the First Market Tower was awarded with the BOMA TOBY Awards Winner.

The building underwent a major restoration in 2016. The architect commissioned to undertake this restoration was Shed Landscape Architect, PWP Landscape Architecture, and Keating Architecture.

John Carl Warnecke was the architecture firm in charge of the architectural design.

That being said, architecture is a complex discipline involving many professionals from different fields, without whom this building would have not been possible. We will surely be leaving out a lot of names here, but at the very least we know that there was one other part involved, that was Cahill Contractors, Inc. as the Main Contractor.

The First Market Tower can be categorized as an International Style building.

The First Market Tower uses a frame structure made of steel columns and concrete slabs.

A frame structure uses a combination of beams and columns to sustain the building's weight. The walls in this case are non-load bearing, which allows for more flexibility when distributing the interior spaces.

The facade uses a non-load bearing curtain wall system. This means the curtain wall modules are anchored to the building's structural frame, typically by being attached to the edge of the floor slabs. The curtain wall system connects to the slabs using brackets, anchors, and mullions, which transfer the loads imposed by wind and temperature changes, to the building's primary structural elements.

This setup allows the curtain wall to accommodate differential movement between the facade and the structural frame, such as thermal expansion, floor deflection, or sway from wind forces. This system's integration with the slab edges also allows for continuous insulation and weatherproofing layers.

From an aesthetic point of view, the facade features a glass and limestone curtain wall organized in very narrow vertical stripes that come together at a thick capital that serves as culmination of the building.

Not only is the building organized like a classic column, with a base, shaft, and capital, but the limestone also contributes to giving it an older look, leaning towards some brutalist vibes, while the glass reminds us that this is a modern building we are looking at.

Other materials found at the First Market Tower include, aluminium, Used in the cladding of the central entrance columns., English Oak, found in the elevator core walls, and travertine, found flanking the receptionist desk.