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San Francisco is known for its diverse architectural landscape, and the city’s buildings span a wide range of ages, reflecting its rich history and development over time.
One of the defining features of San Francisco’s building age is its diversity. You can walk through neighborhoods and witness the progression of architectural styles, from ornate Victorian homes to sleek glass-clad high-rises.
Pre-1900s: San Francisco’s oldest buildings can be found in neighborhoods like the Mission District, North Beach, and Chinatown. These areas contain a mix of wooden Victorian-style houses, Italianate buildings, and commercial structures. Many of these buildings survived the 1906 earthquake and fire, which devastated large parts of the city.
Early 1900s: After the earthquake of 1906, San Francisco underwent a significant period of reconstruction and expansion. You can find Edwardian-style homes and apartment buildings constructed in the aftermath of the disaster. These buildings often have unique architectural details and decorative elements.
Art Deco and Streamline Moderne (1920s-1930s): During the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression, Art Deco and Streamline Moderne styles emerged. These styles are characterized by geometric patterns, bold shapes, and streamlined designs. Notable examples include the Golden Gate Bridge’s Art Deco towers and various commercial buildings downtown.
Mid-20th Century: The mid-20th century brought a mix of architectural styles to San Francisco, including mid-century modern, International Style, and Brutalism. The city’s skyline expanded during this period, with the construction of office buildings, hotels, and residential towers.
Late 20th Century to Present: Contemporary architecture in San Francisco encompasses a range of styles. In the later decades of the 20th century and into the 21st century, you can find glassy skyscrapers, innovative mixed-use developments, and adaptive reuse projects that repurpose older structures for new purposes.
Danny Yang created the fascinating interactive map illustrating the years of development of the various neighborhoods of San Francisco.
Using the centroid of each parcel, he associated each building to its respective parcel and then assigned each building in the building footprints dataset to the year it was built using the land use dataset.
As San Francisco’s population continues to grow, there’s a mix of infill development, where new buildings are constructed on vacant or underutilized lots. These new developments often incorporate modern design while respecting the character of their surroundings.
To learn more about San Francisco, have a look at the following maps:
