The renovation and seismic upgrade program for The Women’s Building included the addition of an auditorium, café, meeting rooms, childcare center, information and referral area, public meeting spaces, and offices. The entire retrofitting project cost around $2 million at the time.
Given the building’s historic nature, special care was taken to preserve its Mission Revival detailing throughout the transformation.
In 1994, the mural “Maestrapeace” was painted on both facades of the San Francisco Women’s Building. The mural commemorated the paying off of the mortgage, which took fifteen years. The north and east façades of The Women’s Building are covered by a mural titled Maestrapeace. The painting was completed in 1994 by a group of prominent Bay Area muralists comprised of Juana Alicia, Miranda Bergman, Edythe Boone, Susan Kelk Cervantes, Meera Desai, Yvonne Littleton, and Irene Perez. Maestrapeace illustrates the contributions of women across time and around the globe and is notable for its size and richly vibrant color. Four two-story heads representing mythic female ancestors of Native American and African origin (north façade) and Asian and European origin (east façade) frame the building, gazing at each other from the southwest, northwest, and northeast corners. The shaped parapets atop the north and east walls hold additional over-scale figures, the north side features a pregnant goddess, and the east side holds a portrait of 1993 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Rigoberta Menchu.
In the early ’70s, the Bay Area was a crucial hub for student movement groups. This environment gave rise to influential collectives like Mujeres Muralistas, founded in 1974. These women challenged the restrictive political expectations set by their male counterparts, advocating for art’s role in social change. Despite the burgeoning muralist movement in San Francisco, women were often excluded from projects. The first mural at The Women’s Building, which initially occupied the second floor of the 18th Street façade, was painted by Patricia Rodriguez, Francis Stevens, Miranda Bergman, Nicole Emanuel, and Celeste Snealand. Unfortunately, this pioneering mural was later destroyed.
Taking ownership in 1976, San Francisco’s Women’s Centers have fostered a deep philosophy of community involvement at The Women’s Building since its inception. El Edificio de Mujeres, with its largely bilingual staff, has warmly welcomed neighborhood organizations for events and meetings. Over the years, a diverse array of renters has hosted social and political events, including plays, concerts, poetry readings, dances, craft fairs, and art shows, bringing people together and strengthening community bonds.