05 Mar WESTERN LANDMARK: A UNIQUE DESIGN TRIBUTE

San Francisco artist Ruth Asawa [1926–2013] was one of approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans held in relocation camps during World War II. Initially detained at the Santa Anita racetrack in Southern California, she passed the time by learning how to draw from Walt Disney animators and fellow detainees. As these early mentors encouraged her artistic expression, Asawa forged ahead, experimenting with various media and found objects.

The more than 300 modern guest suites and rooms were inspired by the late Ruth Asawa, a San Francisco artist nationally recognized for her wire sculptures, public commissions, and activism. Photo courtesy of The Jay

In the 1950s, she became one of the 20th century’s pre-eminent wire sculptors. Asawa looped industrial wire into ethereal bubbles and curvaceous shapes that seemed to float in the air. Her works have been displayed in New York’s Guggenheim Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art, among others. In 2020, the U.S. Postal Service honored her achievements with a set of Forever Stamps printed with images of her wire sculptures.

The Third Floor Terrace offers a wrap-around outdoor dining patio with fire features throughout. A modern take on the classic hotel restaurant and bar, it provides fresh, seasonal menus by Executive Chef Michael Magallanes. Photo courtesy of The Jay

In November 2023, a decade after Asawa’s passing, The Jay in downtown San Francisco opened its doors, celebrating with a cocktail party for travel journalists and business partners. The former Le Méridien business hotel was reimagined with a vibe that was modern but warm, sophisticated but not stuffy. It felt uplifting. The seminal inspiration for the design of the new Autograph Collection hotel? None other than Ruth Asawa.

“A large part of our inspiration for the hotel,” says Greg Bradshaw, cofounder of AvroKO, the design firm that oversaw the transformation, “came from a desire to pay homage to the people who shaped San Francisco from a more behind-the-scenes view. Ruth Asawa naturally falls into this category as a prolific local artist. Her work is endlessly inspiring.”

The Jay’s architectural style, dubbed “warm Brutalism” by design firm AvroKO, balances heavy concrete elements with warm materials and calm, soothing colors. Photo courtesy of The Jay

Asawa championed arts education in San Francisco while landing prestigious public commissions. Most recognized is Andrea’s Fountain at Ghirardelli Square, featuring a pair of mermaids, a mermaid child, turtles, and frogs.

The Jay honors her artistic legacy in the city. Erected in 1989, the 24-story hotel is a textbook example of Brutalist architecture emphasizing straight lines, concrete, steel, and glass. The accordion-like folds and skyscraper height appear futuristic and harsh. But inside, hues of walnut, ebony, and cream evoke a spa-like serenity along with curved oak walls and polished gold elevators.

The Nest penthouse suite overlooks San Francisco and includes a Ruth Asawa-inspired sculpture made by artist D’lisa Creager. Photo courtesy of The Jay

AvroKO curated the space to deliver a more residential feel. The design company coined the term “warm Brutalism,” underscoring the fact that the team wed concrete architecture with warm materials and soft textures. On the ground floor, in a remnant from Le Méridien, a glass staircase swirls around a three-story bronze pole laden with graphic shapes and lines. Near the check-in counter, the dark bronze outline of a man and woman doubles as restroom signage. Find sculptures, sketches, paintings, and photographs in corridors, rooms, and even the gym.

Alas, there is not an original Asawa amid the collection, but Bradshaw says her influence is felt throughout the hotel, including the hallways which were painted a shade of green inspired by the sweater the artist is wearing on the cover of her biography, Everything She Touched: The Life of Ruth Asawa, which appears in each of the 360 guestrooms and suites.

Bronze and black accents in the guestrooms “recreate the shades found in her iconic sculptures,” says Bradshaw. AvroKO designed the ebony pendants above the end tables, and the thin, stacked, origami-like cones also harken to Asawa’s work. In a penthouse suite on the 24th floor, a wire sculpture hangs several feet high. The airy looped piece by artist D’lisa Creager features curved shapes inside another pair of elongated balloon shapes suspended from the ceiling. Creager, many years ago, learned the looping technique from Ruth’s daughter, Aiko Cuneo, at a workshop.

The Third Floor restaurant features bounty sourced from local farmers, ranchers, and fishermen around the Bay Area, resulting in what Executive Chef Michael Magallanes has termed “California-forward cuisine with an Asian twist.”

Now, a year after the renovation, changes have been encouraging. For one, the clientele has expanded, moving beyond business and convention guests. “Ever since we became The Jay, we are seeing a lot more vacationers,” says Amber Lopez, guest services manager. On a weekend, visitors from Europe, the Middle East, and other far-flung regions queue up at the reception desk.

Through experiencing the hotel and reading the book, visitors can be inspired by Asawa’s life and work. The artist who overcame prejudice took objects such as steel wires, symbols of incarceration and hate, and transformed them into elements of beauty and hope.

Kathy Chin Leong is an award-winning travel writer whose work has been published in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and many other publications. Her recent book, San Francisco’s Chinatown (Heyday Books), has garnered rave reviews.