Our sixth cafe with Equator Coffee & Teas, this historic San Francisco waterfront location occupies the original Fort Mason Gatehouse—rejuvenating the building to resume its role in welcoming visitors to the complex.

Studio BBA worked hand in hand with the Client, Fort Mason Center, and the National Park Service to develop a lovely space for people to enjoy while respecting the site’s significance. Being part of the larger Fort Mason cultural community, it was important to conceive this new café in relationship to the whole campus, its master plan and goals for the future.

We love to celebrate beauty in utility, and we generally opt for reason over flourish—striving for all elements to serve a purpose while being aesthetically pleasing. These principles were top of mind when designing this new café—further inspired by Fort Mason’s utilitarian nature. Formerly known as the “San Francisco Port of Embarkation”, for more than 100 years the complex was a U.S. army post, coastal defense site and military port facility.

Design concepts for a plaza surrounding the café are in the Fort Mason Center’s pipeline!