How do you make sure your historic City Hall remains safe in an earthquake?
How do you make sure your historic City Hall remains safe in an earthquake?

Oakland City Hall Seismic Rehabilitation

Oakland City Hall was the first-ever high rise seismic retrofit using seismic base isolation.
 
Customized Solutions
  • Forell | Elsesser designed the seismic retrofit for this 160,000 s.f. 18-story historic City Hall building constructed in 1913.  The structure was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
  • Base isolation was used at the base, with a combination of concrete shear walls and braced frames above.
  • The project required the transfer of large column loads of 4 million pounds onto the seismic isolator bearings.
  • The seismic retrofit elements are completely hidden within the existing historic envelope.
CATEGORIES

Historic Renovation, Justice/Civic/Governmental


HIGHLIGHTS
  • Architect: VBN Architects/Michael Willis Architects
  • Owner: City of Oakland
  • Base isolated historic seismic retrofit, including 113 isolators