Nestled within San Francisco’s thriving Financial District, 45 Fremont is a contemporary mid-block office building. Constructed in 1978, 45 Fremont boasts over 620,000 square feet, features 34 stories of office space and is home to several prestigious companies. However, as businesses across the nation began transitioning back to in-office schedules post-pandemic, the lobby was in need of a refresh to cater to the needs of modern workers.

Lacking curb appeal and filled with underutilized spaces, the former lobby fell short on tenant amenities. The Gensler design team embarked on a project to refresh the lobby with the goal of meeting the new needs of tenants and enhancing the workplace environment. With a growing number of employees seeking a sense of home and comfortability in their office spaces, the design team adopted a hospitality-oriented approach to the redesign. The team rejuvenated the lobby by incorporating numerous new tenant amenities, including food and beverage retail spaces, a public outdoor courtyard, plenty of private meeting spaces and an exclusive tenant-only basement level adorned with scooter and bike storage and locker rooms. The impressive redesign transformed the lobby and basement level of the building, elevating the opulence of the office space and crafting a lively entrance to fit the bustling neighborhood the building is located in and the flourishing businesses it houses.

The 45 Fremont project was awarded second place in Retrofit Magazine’s 2023 Metamorphosis Awards. For this award-winning design, Pulp Studio supplied custom specialty glass, which is displayed near grab-and-go food areas. Comprised of five separate pieces, the glass showcases a unique center fade from white to clear, creating privacy within the kiosk stores.