Merchants Exchange Building (San Francisco)

The Merchants Exchange Building features a grand, arched entrance carved from white granite, set against the darker brickwork of the financial district. Built in nineteen oh three, the structure replaced an earlier exchange destroyed by the nineteen oh six earthquake and fire. Willis Polk designed the lobby with marble floors and a massive coffered ceiling. During the disaster, the building served as the de facto headquarters for the city's relief efforts, where officials coordinated the distribution of supplies and rebuilding plans from its resilient walls.