Borel & Co.

The Borel & Co. building is a landmark, small, two story, granite-faced, steel frame building at 440 Montgomery in San Francisco, California.

History

The Borel Company Building was commissioned by Switzerland born banker and diplomat, Antoine Borel. Although he generally thought of as a commercial bank, the type of service offered was more closely related to investment services. Borel held directorates in the California-Oregon Power Company, the Los Angeles Railroad, The Spring Valley Water Company, and the Bank of California. In 1884, Borel organized a syndicate to purchase the California Street Cable Car line which had been in operation since 1878. It was largely through Borel's efforts that the company expanded its operations by construction of the Hyde Street Line.

Design

The building was designed by Albert Pissis, It exemplifies the Beaux Arts architecture commercial classicism strongly evident in the reconstruction of downtown San Francisco following the 1906 Earthquake and Fire.

The Corinthian façade begins the colonnaded parade of temple banks that runs northward along from Montgomery Street to Columbus Avenue. The building facades only 27.5 feet wide, eve though it was offer less opportunity for innovation than would a larger street frontage, paradoxically, it also demands even greater innovation to achieve architectural excellence.