CC SA-BY Our Oakland
The building historically known as Kessler & Kessler - The Vauban Building is a small two-story brick and concrete store and office building located at 520 16th Street, Oakland, California. It was most recently used as an office and service location for Travelers Aid, but has been vacant for a few years. The building was briefly taken over by Occupy Oakland activists on the night of November 2, 2011.
The building was originally a Beaux Arts derivative office building designed by architects Cecil Moyer and Reed and Corlett in 1922, with construction by builder A. S. Homes & Son completed in 1923. 1 It was remodeled in 1953 into a plain-looking brick box.
"As remodeled in 1953, it has an asymmetrical late Moderne shadow box facade with tall plate glass windows on the second story and an angled ground floor storefront, framed by smooth, sharp-edged, rectangular expanses of red brick veneer in stack bond above and on the left side, and a narrow pier surfaced with gray spatter finish enameled metal on the right. The trapezoidal inset entry is paved with pink and charcoal terrazzo. The east side wall, exposed over a neighboring driveway, is tan brick with the remains of an original 1922 terra cotta cornice molding. Originally built as a restaurant and remodeled as law offices, this is one of the more interesting of a number of late Moderne remodelings Downtown." 1
This historic building is #57 on the list of District Contributors/Noncontributor for the Downtown Oakland Historic District Registration Form. The building is a noncontributor.
Links & References
- National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Downtown Oakland Historic District
