RH Opens RH San Francisco, The Gallery at Historic Bethlehem Steel Building

May 18, 2022  by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry   

RH San Francisco represents the latest physical expression of the brand and its continued foray into hospitality with The Palm Court Restaurant – a new live-fire concept set within a dramatic atrium of glass and steel with towering Medjool date palms and featuring two Wine Bars at its dual entrances – plus a beautifully landscaped Rooftop Park with spectacular views of the city skyline, Bay and bridge.

Commanding five floors, this unrivaled experience seamlessly integrates luxury home furnishings collections from RH Contemporary, Interiors, Modern and Outdoor with rare art, antiques and artifacts from around the world. Constructed in 1917 and designed in the Classical Revival style by preeminent San Francisco architect Frederick H. Meyer, the landmark building has been meticulously restored and reimagined with great respect for its original vision. 

RH Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Gary Friedman has revitalized several other iconic buildings across the country, including the former Museum of Natural History in Boston’s Back Bay, the Post Office in Greenwich, Connecticut, and the Historic Three Arts Club in Chicago’s Gold Coast.

“We are both humbled and honored to play a part in the reestablishment of San Francisco’s historic shipyards, and to reimagine the iconic Bethlehem Steel Building into a place open to the public for the very first time,” said Friedman. “This was a rare opportunity to do what we love, in a city that we love and call our home.”

The monumental structure sits proudly on the corner of Illinois and 20^th Streets, with elegant neoclassical architecture that has been artistically refinished by the famed Bay Area artist and color authority James Goodman. Entering through bespoke hand-forged iron gates graced with intricate scrollwork and gilded acanthus leaves, guests pass through an intimate vestibule with trickling wall fountains and antique urns that opens into a rare octagonal lobby with original rose marble floors, cast-stone walls and a meticulously restored plastered ornamental ceiling by Manuel Palos.

Architecturally integrated to form a new center core of the building, guests will discover The Palm Court Restaurant, a live-fire dining experience featuring a monolithic marble cooking hearth flanked by custom Molteni rotisseries from France.

Sitting beneath a dramatic atrium, this year-round skylit escape recalls the glamour of San Francisco’s Gilded Age – a stunning statement space featuring structural steelwork inspired by the former shipyard, towering Medjool date palms and a cascading center fountain sculpted of Calacatta gold marble.

Situated off each entrance to The Palm Court Restaurant, two luminous Wine Bars serve exceptional champagnes and wines from around the world for visitors to enjoy in adjacent lounge seating or while exploring the Gallery – including 40 wines by the glass and limited production offerings from Napa Valley’s renowned small vintners.