Emporium Capwell

The Emporium building that stands before you is a survivor of a bygone era in San Francisco retail. Its site is historically significant, serving as the birthplace of what became the University of San Francisco long before this grand structure took its place. When the original department store opened here in eighteen ninety-six, it was hailed as the grandest mercantile building in the world. It was designed in the style of a European palace, complete with a massive glass rotunda that became a central meeting place for generations of city residents.