Matson Building

The Matson Building stands as a direct monument to the era when San Francisco served as the primary gateway to the Pacific. Completed in 1924, this sixteen-story landmark functioned as the headquarters for the Matson Navigation Company, which dominated the luxury passenger and freight routes between California and Hawaii. If you look up toward the roof, you will see a small cupola that once housed a functional lighthouse. This light served as a beacon for incoming ships navigating into the bay, while also allowing company officials to watch their fleet arrive from the vantage point of their own office tower. The building is wrapped in intricate terra cotta detailing that reveals the maritime identity of its former occupants. The facade features nautical symbols including anchors entwined with seaweed, along with decorative friezes depicting tridents, dolphins, and whales. Architects Bliss and Faville chose a distinctive color palette for this ornamentation, utilizing a glossy cream base accented by vibrant turquoise blue-green glazes. This design choice highlights the building’s connection to the ocean, turning the structure itself into a permanent display of the company's influence during the golden age of Pacific shipping.