Albert Kahn (1869-1942) was born in Rhaunen, Kingdom of Prussia, and came to Detroit in 1880. In 1895, he founded the architectural firm Albert Kahn Associates with his brother Julius. Their new style of construction, where reinforced concrete to replaced wood in factory buildings, was used for the first time with the Packard Motor Car Company's factory (1903). Henry Ford, whose was impressed by Packard plant's success and intrigued by its design, commissioned Albert Kahn to design the Ford Motor Company Assembly, now Ford Richmond Plant, in Richmond California. It opened in 1931 and became a major stimulant to the local and regional economy of Richmond and the SF Bay Area. During WWII the factory switched to assembling military vehicles. After the war the factory continued production of the Ford Plant keeping the economy afloat. However due to inability to accommodate increase production demands, the factory was closed in 1956 and production transferred to a new San Jose plant. The Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989 severely damaged the plant. For decades the building stood largely abandoned.
In 2004 Orton Development purchased the building and commissioned Marcy Wong Donn Logan for the restoration. The project was completed in 2009. Beautifully restored this outstanding example of 20th century industrial architecture is now home to retail and industrial tenants like Mountain Hardware and others.
The Craneway pavilion is a state-of-the-art facility hosting events, concerts and other productions. One of which is Codex, a biennial international (art) book fair and symposium being held this year from February 8th through 11th. Featuring close to 200 of the world's leading fine presses and book artists, this event is loved by bibliophiles, collectors and scholars alike. A must-see!
To learn more, visit Craneway Pavilion.
To learn more, visit Codex Foundation.
