Four Fifty Sutter Building

Offices used by dentists and doctors are usually relatively bland and nondescript. That is not the case with Four Fifty Sutter, a remarkable Art Deco structure built from 1928 to 1929 specifically to house dentist offices. Mayan symbolism was used heavily in the elaborate details, inside and out of the 26-story building. It is thought to be the first west coast skyscraper designed to withstand an earthquake. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009 and has been designated an Art Deco Landmark by the Art Deco Society of California (1984) and a City of San Francisco Landmark (1985).

The building at Four Fifty Sutter, which has housed medical and dental offices for almost one hundred years, was the brainchild of an eccentric Santa Cruz dentist, Francis Edward Morgan, Jr. Morgan wanted a building dedicated solely to dentistry and medical practices. The project was headed by renowned San Francisco architect Timothy Pflueger of the firm Miller and Pflueger. Pfleuger wanted a building that was different than virtually every other structure in the United States--a building with little to no European influences. The building he designed--which was then the second tallest in the city and perhaps the largest medical building in the world at the time--is considered an Art Deco masterpiece. Four Fifty Sutter is also remarkable for its heavy use of Mayan symbolism. Setbacks, massing, and decoration emphasizes the structure's verticality.

Among the building's stunning design elements are its Mayan bas-relief spandrels on the exterior, as well as the remarkable two-story lobby. The dark variegated marble lobby is remarkable for its inverted gold pyramid ceiling, which is meant to evoke the image of a Mayan pyramid. The massive elevator doors are made of dark bronze. Mayan symbolism is used throughout the building's lobby, but much of that symbolism is lost on the casual observer. 

Excavation for the foundation and basement of the 26-story skyscraper began in March 1928. The contractor was Lindgren & Swinerton, Inc. of San Francisco. The structural steel contract was awarded to the McClintock-Marshall Co.; 5,000 tons of steel went into the project, and over 2,500 plate glass windows. The construction cost of the 344-foot-tall building was estimated at $5 million. Four Fifty Sutter opened on October 15th, 1929, just days before the stock market crash. It was the last skyscraper built in the city until the building boom of the post-World War II years.

Four Fifty Sutter was purchased by Max Abell, a Chicago real estate investor, in 1953. Schnitzer Properties became the new owner in 1963; the company still owns and manages the building and has completed extensive renovations and restorations while respecting the building's history. The building was photo-documented in 1981 for the Historic American Buildings Survey and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.

Anonymous. Building News Section: Banks, Stores & Offices. Building and Engineering News. Vol 28. March 24th, 1928. 12 - 14.

King, John (August 12, 2008). "Two different architects with much in common". SFGate. Retrieved 7 May 2017.

Schnitzer Properties. About 450 Sutter, 450 Sutter Building. Accessed June 19th, 2025. https://450sutter.com/index.html-p=35.

Schnitzer Properties. 450 Sutter Building, 450 Sutter Building: Amenities. Accessed June 19th, 2025. https://450sutter.buildingengines.com/geofire/BDPW?conid=3081708307&id_site=175283127&id_client_site_rel=0.

Tess, John M. NRHP nomination, Four Fifty Sutter Building, San Francisco, CA. National Register of Historic Places. Washington, DC. National Park Service, 2008.