Kaiser Center

The Kaiser Center, also known as the Kaiser Building, is a 28-story office building in downtown Oakland, California, located right on Lake Merritt. Designed by the architecture firm Welton Becket & Associates and completed in 1960, it was at the time the tallest building in the city as well as the largest office tower west of the Rocky Mountains. The facade is made of glass, aluminum, and a stone-like dolomite cladding that likely came from the quarries of the company's founder. One architectural highlight is the rooftop garden, designed by Theodore Osmundson & Associates, which is considered the first of its kind in the United States after World War II. The building originally served as the headquarters of the Kaiser corporation. Today it houses various organizations, including the University of California Office of the President and, since 2016, the engineering services firm AECOM. The Kaiser Center is also the planned new headquarters of the utility company PG&E, which aims to complete its move from San Francisco by 2026.