Hilton San Francisco Financial District
| Company type | Hotel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hospitality |
| Founded | 1971 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California , United States |
| Products | Hotel services |
The Hilton San Francisco Financial District, initially known as the Holiday Inn Financial District and frequently referred to as the Holiday Inn Chinatown, is a high-rise hotel situated east of Kearny Street close to Portsmouth Square, bordering San Francisco's Financial District and Chinatown. It began operations in 1971 on the former location of the San Francisco Hall of Justice, which served as the headquarters for the San Francisco Police Department until 1961. A portion of the building is leased to the Chinese Culture Center at a nominal fee for rotating exhibits, an arrangement supported by advocacy from the local Chinese-American community.
History
Originally, the site was occupied by the Jenny Lind Theater, which was destroyed by fire in 1851 and subsequently rebuilt before being acquired by the city in 1852 to construct a new City Hall; this location is designated as California Historical Landmark number 192.
In December 1896, the cornerstone was laid for the Hall of Justice and Morgue on the block enclosed by Kearny, Montgomery, Washington, and Merchant streets, replacing the previous City Hall. The building was completed by September 1900. Its proximity to Chinatown soon became a point of contention among city officials and local business leaders. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire severely damaged the structure, which was later reconstructed and expanded.
After groundbreaking for a new Hall of Justice in 1958, redevelopment plans commenced. By December 1960, the San Francisco Planning Commission approved selling the old site, with all agencies expected to vacate by August 1961. In 1963, the San Francisco Greater Chinatown Community Service Association Organization (SFGCCSA) was established to advocate for transforming the old Hall into a public facility serving Chinatown’s needs. At the same time, Mayor George Christopher supported selling the property to help finance a new Central Police Station.
In March 1963, city officials announced that the land would be sold with a minimum bid set at $850,000. When Howard Johnson proposed purchasing it for a 21-story motel, SFGCCSA persuaded the Board of Supervisors to delay the sale in order to develop plans for a Chinese cultural and trade center. In April 1964, SFGCCSA engaged J. Francis Ward and Associates; Thomas Hsieh spearheaded redesign efforts based on prior experience with Chinatown’s Ping Yuen housing project.
By March 1965, planning authority was transferred to the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency (SFRA), under M. Justin Herman’s leadership. One supervisor criticized this postponement, arguing it deprived San Francisco of vital tax revenue.
Justice Enterprises and Chinese Culture Foundation
The property was slated for sale at $875,000 in 1965, requiring bidders to submit an $85,000 deposit by June 1. As part of the San Francisco Downtown General Plan (1963), enhancements such as a pedestrian bridge over Merchant Street were proposed. By June 3, Herman presented five development proposals; two led by Chinese-American teams quickly emerged as frontrunners. The design by Clement Chen Jr. and Dartmond Cherk was noted for its "futuristic" and "striking" appearance, while Dr. Colin Dong’s plan featured a taller but more traditional hotel tower. Other submissions included Haas and Haynie (with design by Stephen M. Heller), Milton Meyer and Co., advocating reuse of the Hall of Justice (designed by John Savage Bolles), and Justice Enterprises collaborating with Wurster, Bernardi & Emmons. Interested parties included Sheraton Hotels and Resorts; Tishman Realty & Construction backed Chen/Cherk; Cahill Contractors supported Justice Enterprises; and Greyhound Lines aligned with Haas & Haynie.
Art critic Alexander Fried from the San Francisco Examiner endorsed Chen/Cherk’s design shortly after its debut. On October 15, 1965, SFGCCSA reorganized as the Chinese Culture Foundation (CCF), led by financiers J.K. Choy and Joe Yuey. In November that year, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors approved establishing a Chinese cultural center within the old Hall of Justice site with at least 20,000 square feet allocated for this purpose. Harold Moose, president of Justice Enterprises, confirmed their proposal met this space requirement with an annual rent set at $5,000.
In December 1965, SFRA requested detailed financial information and plans from both Dong’s and Chen/Cherk’s teams. Tishman Realty withdrew in April 1966; subsequently, Justice Enterprises adopted Chen’s design with backing from Cahill Contractors. By October, Justice Enterprises had signed a 25-year lease with Holiday Inn for hotel management contingent upon city purchase rights being granted. These rights were approved in November pending final confirmation, and the lease was formalized in June 1967. Securing this lease allowed Justice Enterprises to obtain a $7.8 million loan to fund construction; demolition of the old Hall of Justice was planned for early 1968. On November 21, 1967, CCF entered into a fifty-year lease agreement with Justice Enterprises at an annual rent of one dollar, including an option to extend for ten years provided it continued operating as a hotel.
Design and construction
The initiative was spearheaded by Chinese-American architects Clement Chen and Dartmond Cherk, with structural engineering expertise provided by T.Y. Lin. Initially, the concept featured a tower connected by a pedestrian bridge over Kearny Street to Portsmouth Square and Chinatown.[1] Chen characterized the design as "a grand landmark for Chinatown and San Francisco, symbolizing the gateway to the Orient".Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name A rooftop heliport was also part of the original plan.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Detailed architectural designs were finalized by John Carl Warnecke and Associates.[2]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Due to budget limitations, Chen scaled down the structure from 48 to 27 stories.[3] In 2021, the building qualified for inclusion in the California Register of Historical Resources as an outstanding example of Brutalist architecture and a representation of Chinatown’s political advancement.[4]
The initial blueprint incorporated cultural facilities on an enclosed pedestrian bridge deck linking the hotel with Portsmouth Square,[5] but by late 1967, a single-level bridge was adopted, relocating cultural spaces to the hotel's ground floor.[2] The bridge design benefited from contributions by Taiwanese architect Chen Chi-kwan and landscape architect Robert Royston,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name earning acclaim for its visual appeal.[6] Chen later acknowledged inspiration drawn from the Anji Bridge.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Construction commenced on August 20, 1968, with Mayor Joseph Alioto present; Herman announced a significant donation from Taiwan’s National Palace Museum to support the hotel's Chinese Culture Center.[7][8] The project's estimated cost was $14 million (adjusted for inflation).[7]
By November 1969, the tower was approaching its full height; its upper floors featured a pagoda-style flare that housed a rooftop swimming pool.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name When completed in November 1970, it offered 572 guest rooms, convention halls, two dining venues, and cocktail lounges. Floors two through four were suspended from a structural arch.[9] The Holiday Inn Chinatown officially opened on January 13, 1971;Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name despite opposition from the Asian People's Coalition concerned about potential cultural exploitation.[10]
The pedestrian bridge received municipal approval in late 1968 but necessitated moving Portsmouth Square’s playground to prevent shadowing effects.[8] It opened in mid-August 1971,[10]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name spanning approximately long and wide.[3] Some critics worried about increased tourist traffic harming Portsmouth Square; however, Holiday Inn management stressed that 80% of their workforce was Chinese under their agreement with Justice Enterprises and emphasized the economic advantages to Chinatown.[3]
The Chinese Cultural Center, envisioned as a complimentary addition by Justice Enterprises, encountered delays due to disagreements over construction expenses between Justice and the CCF;[10] initial budgeting allocated $70,000 for one floor with standard ceiling heights. The CCF requested modifications including higher ceilings (), an auditorium, mezzanine areas, and repositioning four columns,[8] which raised costs to $100,000.[10] The influential Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association withdrew financial support in 1970 following political disputes involving CCF leadership.[8] Subsequently, Northern California’s Chinese-American community raised $560,000 to complete construction starting in January 1973,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name culminating in a grand opening gala on October 18, 1973.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Historian Him Mark Lai chronicled this narrative in 1995.[8]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
In 1991, exterior refurbishments included alterations to first-floor windows on Washington Street, installation of ADA-compliant ramps, updated lighting systems, and ten new flagpoles.[4]
Rebranding
On June 1, 2005, the Holiday Inn Downtown ceased operations to undergo a $40 million renovation, which included the removal of asbestos. It reopened as the Hilton San Francisco Financial District on January 12, 2006. This refurbishment resulted in the permanent closure of the rooftop swimming pool.
In 2001, a clubhouse was established beneath the bridge in Portsmouth Square, with gates added at its western entrance in 2003. The bridge is regarded as private property and requires a key for entry when hotel personnel close the gates at 7 PM. The exact ownership remains ambiguous since initial agreements specified that the bridge would be constructed and maintained without any expense to the city.
Beginning in June 2015, the Innovative Open Space Project set forth plans to transform the bridge into a small public park. In August of that year, the Chinese Culture Center installed "Sky Bridge," an artwork by Beili Liu featuring mirrored Mylar decals. By December, final designs were revealed, including "Sunrise," a tile mosaic created by Mik Gaspay, which was unveiled near the hotel in October 2016.
Between 2017 and 2018, the San Francisco Department of Recreation & Parks solicited community feedback regarding renovations for Portsmouth Square; more than seventy-five percent of respondents supported removing the pedestrian bridge. A preliminary project proposal now calls for a comprehensive redesign of Portsmouth Square that includes dismantling the bridge.
Criticism
Veteran architecture critic from the San Francisco Chronicle, Allan Temko, described the Holiday Inn as a "bulbous slab" embodying nearly every urban design error imaginable. Similarly, urban design commentator John King labeled it "the most unsociable chunk of concrete in San Francisco ... grim on the skyline and worse on the ground ... the harsh tower standing aloof from the sullied street."Chronicle editor Scott Newhall expressed disapproval over demolishing the former Hall of Justice—compared to Florence’s Palazzo Medici Riccardi—and denounced claims that a Chinese cultural center was part of the project when it was merely a mezzanine within the Holiday Inn.
In 2004, Rebecca Solnit pointed out that the building had contributed to Portsmouth Square’s decline, echoing concerns first raised by Temko twenty years prior.
Alex Lehnerer noted that the Holiday Inn was among four San Francisco skyscrapers from the late 1960s and early 1970s that attracted disproportionate criticism; others included the Bank of America Building (1969), criticized as "too big and too dark," Embarcadero Center (1971–82), deemed "too large and bulky," and the Transamerica Pyramid (1972), considered "too bizarre."
In popular culture
Model and actress Lynda Carter performed as lead vocalist for "The Garfin Gathering" at the Holiday Inn’s "Eight Immortals Lounge." At that time, since the hotel was newly opened, audiences were primarily limited to staff and guests who accessed it via the underground garage.
The Holiday Inn also appeared in the opening scene of the 1971 movie Dirty Harry, where the villain fires shots from 555 California, resulting in a swimmer’s death at what was then the hotel’s rooftop pool, now closed.
See also
External links
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