Levi Strauss & Co Headquarters

The ground floor of Levi Strauss & Co.’s San Francisco headquarters was at a crossroads; a flagging, internally facing retail outlet, enormous, outdated technology rooms and a non-functional conference center all encircled a vast atrium with no distinguishable program. The purpose of the project was to reclaim that space as a shared civic living room, serving employees, welcoming the public, and honoring a brand inseparable from the history of San Francisco.  

The design response was to push the retail store and reimagined Levi’s Museum to the building perimeter, directly interfacing with the street and public plaza respectively. Not only did this bring the brand closer to the urban fabric, it also helped resolve the grand atrium into a more legible, uniform space. While blessed with height and light, the vastness of the volume made it challenging to inhabit. The new space creates intimate vignettes all serving a distinct purpose. Inspired by Levi Strauss & Co.’s origins as a trading post, the series of connected zones invites people to gather, work, eat or meet, while remaining open and flexible for community focused events or employee all hands.  

Like the program, the design is deliberately layered. Material choices do much of the storytelling. Reclaimed wood flooring replaces the original concrete plaza surface, introducing warmth and softness. A copper-clad reception desk echoes the rivets of Levi’s iconic denim. Throughout the space, custom details, from bespoke door hardware to metal-wrapped columns and built-in seating that embraces living trees, speak to craft and longevity. Artifacts drawn from Levi’s own archive are layered in naturally, giving the space the comfort and character of something well worn, like a favorite pair of 501s. The result is a place that serves many audiences at once, inviting the public to experience both the history and the future of the brand.