In 2011, architects Cathy Simon, FAIA, LEED® AP, design principal at Perkins+Will and Peter Birkholz, AIA, LEED® AP, associate principal at Page & Turnbull, were hired by developers Wilson Meany to rehabilitate and renew 140 New Montgomery Street in San Francisco, CA, the former headquarters of the Pacific Telephone Co. The project’s goals were to revive this 280,000-square-foot building, return it to its former grandeur and position it as a state-of-the-art contemporary office building. Originally built in 1925 by noted Art Deco architect Timothy Pflueger, this high-rise structure was one of the tallest skyscrapers on the West Coast at the time of its construction. Today, 140 New Montgomery is a successful, multi-tenant office building that includes the headquarters for business information company Yelp and numerous other firms.
140 New Montgomery underwent a top-to-bottom rehabilitation that restored the original design and added two new top-tier restaurants and a sculpture garden. “An important goal of the project was to bring the lobby back to its original condition and to enliven/brighten the space,” said Birkholz. “Work included the restoration of the original stone walls and floors, as well as cleaning and patching of damaged and deteriorated stone.”