Greening San Francisco's Old Mint

Tags:: Architecture

Last year I had the chance to take a press preview of the Old Mint in San Francisco. It's right downtown, just opposite the San Francisco Chronicle, and though it's unused at present, it's set to become the home of the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society. Nevermind that the building was awarded to the group some seven years ago, or that "Granite Lady" is still a good shot away from being ready for the public. The date I heard bandied about for opening was "2013" and the amount of cash needed to make up the rest of the budget was in the "tens of millions." That said, the Old Mint stands a chance to be one of the greenest museums on the books. Read the article here.

— Aaron Britt

Here's a picture of the Old Mint from 1889. It still stands at the corner of Mission St. and Fifth St. in large part thanks to it's foundation, which rests of loose gravel and soil, allowing the building to roll and shift during the 1906 earthquake instead of cracking and splitting apart.

+ Read Article