Kaiser Center
Encyclopedia
Kaiser Center, also called the Kaiser Building, is a 28 story office building
located at 300 Lakeside Drive, adjacent to Lake Merritt
, in downtown Oakland, California
, designed by the architectural firm of Welton Becket & Associates
of Los Angeles
. The property is bounded by Lakeside Drive, which terminates and joins Harrison Street at the site, 20th-, 21st-, and Webster-streets. When completed in 1960, it was Oakland's tallest building, as well as the largest office tower west of the Rocky Mountains
. A three-story office/retail building adjacent to the main tower was completed in 1963.
The building's roof garden was designed by San Francisco-based landscape architecture firm, Theodore Osmundson & Associates, and was the first built in the United States after World War II
. After the main building’s completion, Kaiser occupied a penthouse apartment on the 28th floor as his personal residence for several years, and reportedly commissioned the roof garden so as not to look down on a bare concrete roof.
Kaiser Center was the headquarters of Kaiser Industries, a Fortune 500
conglomerate headed by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser
. The building is currently home to the headquarters of the Bay Area Rapid Transit
(BART), which recently relocated from its former administration building atop the Lake Merritt station
, due to earthquake concerns.
Building
In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...
located at 300 Lakeside Drive, adjacent to Lake Merritt
Lake Merritt
Lake Merritt is a large tidal lagoon that lies just east of downtown Oakland, California. It is surrounded by parkland and city neighborhoods. A popular 3.1 mile walking and jogging path runs along its perimeter...
, in downtown Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, designed by the architectural firm of Welton Becket & Associates
Welton Becket
Welton Becket was an architect who designed many buildings in Los Angeles, California.Becket was born in Seattle, Washington and graduated from the University of Washington program in Architecture in 1927 with a Bachelor of Architecture degree .He settled in Los Angeles in 1933 and formed a...
of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The property is bounded by Lakeside Drive, which terminates and joins Harrison Street at the site, 20th-, 21st-, and Webster-streets. When completed in 1960, it was Oakland's tallest building, as well as the largest office tower west of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. A three-story office/retail building adjacent to the main tower was completed in 1963.
The building's roof garden was designed by San Francisco-based landscape architecture firm, Theodore Osmundson & Associates, and was the first built in the United States after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the main building’s completion, Kaiser occupied a penthouse apartment on the 28th floor as his personal residence for several years, and reportedly commissioned the roof garden so as not to look down on a bare concrete roof.
Kaiser Center was the headquarters of Kaiser Industries, a Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
conglomerate headed by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser
Henry J. Kaiser
Henry John Kaiser was an American industrialist who became known as the father of modern American shipbuilding. He established the Kaiser Shipyard which built Liberty ships during World War II, after which he formed Kaiser Aluminum and Kaiser Steel. Kaiser organized Kaiser Permanente health care...
. The building is currently home to the headquarters of the Bay Area Rapid Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area. The heavy-rail public transit and subway system connects San Francisco with cities in the East Bay and suburbs in northern San Mateo County. BART operates five lines on of track with 44 stations in four counties...
(BART), which recently relocated from its former administration building atop the Lake Merritt station
Lake Merritt (BART station)
The Lake Merritt Bay Area Rapid Transit station is located in Downtown Oakland on Oak Street near Lake Merritt, Chinatown, Laney College and the Oakland Museum. This station consists of an underground island platform....
, due to earthquake concerns.
External links
- Kaiser Center official web site
- Kaiser Center at The Swig Company