Crown Point Press • SF Folsom

Crown Point Press is an internationally acclaimed creator and publisher of limited edition fine art prints founded in 1962 by Kathan Brown. With a focus on fine art etchings made by contemporary artists, Crown Point also houses a gallery and bookshop; publishes the Magical Secrets instructional books for etching; and holds summer workshops open to all.

Our relationship with Crown Point has spanned decades, first designing their stand alone gallery in NYC’s Soho (see NYC Soho page), then commissioned to design two major spaces for them in San Francisco.

Folsom Street

The first was a floor-through renovation in a former manufacturing building on Folsom Street (this page) — Crown Point’s transition from Oakland to the heart of the San Francisco’s South of Market district (this page).

Formerly housed in several disconnected locations, the new space was specifically designed to unify artist workspaces, printmaking studios, gallery and support staff in a physically integrated creative environment. The floor-through layout was designed to provide fluid and cohesive movement echoing the processes of creating, making, viewing and ultimately selling the finished works.

Hawthorne Street

Following the Loma Prieta earthquake, the Folsom Street building was condemned and Crown Point purchased a historic industrial building on Hawthorne Street (see Hawthorne Street page) originally built in 1922 for The San Francisco News. This 30,000 sf, 3-level structure allowed Crown Point to further expand its programming and showcase its approach to the creative process and the art and craft of printmaking.

Preserving as much of the original fabric of the existing structure as possible, the building was gutted, seismically reinforced, and renovated. This time the flow was vertical as well as horizontal. The ground floor configured for the gallery; administration staff; and various support functions. The upper floor configured for artist workspaces; printmaking studios; library; and directors’ offices. The lower level housing staff breakroom and kitchen; storage and archive rooms; and the Japanese-style Tatami Room, a private retreat for visiting artists.

Again, reflecting Kathan’s integrative approach to making prints, the two existing central lightwells served as the connective and organizing focus — with some portions glazed, some opaque, some left open — allowing utmost privacy or social interplay between resident artists, printmakers, staff, and the public.

More recently, we have worked with Crown Point on yet another iteration — as they relinquished their ground floor to a renowned restaurateur and outside gallery, joining their gallery and printmaking on one level once again.