San Francisco - Louise M Davies Symphony Hall

The opening of this concert hall in September 1980 was the fulfillment of a long-cherished ambition among San Francisco's music-lovers: it meant that at long last the Symphony Orchestra, which until then had shared the War Memorial Opera House with the San Francisco Opera and Ballet, had a home of its own.

The building, designed by New York architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in collaboration of Pietro Belluschi, was required to blend with the rest of the Civic Center while yet being modern in conception (there was no question of imitating the Art Deco style of the other buildings).

The result, both internally and externally, is a compromise between the old and new, tradition and modernity.

All in all it deserves its reputation as one of the most interesting new buildings in San Francisco. Though capable of seating 3,000, it has an intimate feel to it. The acoustic problems which dogged it at the start have since been overcome so that San Francisco can take justified pride in its concert hall financed entirely by private funds.