Central Tower, Art Deco skyscraper at Market and Third Streets, San Francisco, United States
Central Tower is a 91-meter, 21-story office building at Market and Third Streets, originally completed in 1898 as the Call Building and remodeled in 1937 in the Art Moderne style. Its light beige masonry facade rises in narrow vertical piers separating rows of rectangular windows, with a darker lower section banded in white and blue-gray panels. The tower steps back into a crown of smaller setbacks.
The building was constructed in 1898 as the Call Building and survived the 1906 earthquake. It underwent a major redesign in 1938 by architect Albert Roller, who gave it its current Art Deco appearance.
The tower stands on Newspaper Row, the stretch of Market Street where San Francisco's papers were based. Claus Spreckels had his initials "CS" engraved on the lobby, doors and doorknobs, and a red light on the 19th floor, the Call Lantern, warned that an extra edition was coming. The Call's opening light show was visible from San Jose.
The building is easily accessible from street level and sits at a major public transportation hub. The surrounding sidewalks offer good views of the facade from multiple angles.
The original 1898 building featured an ornate dome and four corner cupolas and was once the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River. These baroque elements were removed during the 1938 redesign.
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