465 california st San francisco, ca 94104

The Julia Morgan Ballroom, is located on the 15th floor of the Merchants Exchange building. The lobby opens with a barrel-vaulted glass ceiling. The entryway is also decorated with classic gold leaf, bronze and marble. The space is dominated by the intricate, mahogany, honey-combed ceiling design, almost mirrored in the carpet below. A grandeur, 20-foot fireplace serves as one of the focal points of the room, designed by Willis Polk and Julia Morgan. Every detail leads to the next, including the 27-foot, curved mahogany bar, the centerpiece of the adjacent lounge.

One of America’s most important and prolific architects, Julia Morgan had her offices at the Merchants Exchange for forty-five years (1904-1950). Her connection to the building began early in her career when firebrand architect Willis Polk tapped her to design the common area interiors after the great earthquake of 1906.

She took the assignment seriously, making her most distinctive mark on the opulent, light-filled lobby and the breathtaking banking hall, which included the incorporation of the historic William Coulter maritime murals. Morgan’s most important work remains the La Cuesta Encantada  (“Hearst Castle”) in San Simeon, California.

The first female architect to graduate from the École de Beaux-Arts in Paris, and the first licensed female architect in California, Julia Morgan designed over 700 buildings during her career.  In addition to Hearst Castle, Wyntoon and other Hearst residences, Morgan is the visionary behind countless other California landmarks.