Metreon facts for kids
The Metreon viewed from the northwest, c. 2002
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| Coordinates | 37°47′04″N 122°24′12″W / 37.784374°N 122.403424°W |
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| Address | 135 Fourth Street San Francisco, California 94103 |
| Opening date | June 16, 1999 |
| Developer | Sony |
| Management | Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield |
| Owner | Starwood Capital Group |
| Architect | Handel Architects |
| No. of stores and services | 25 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 1 |
| Total retail floor area | 350,000 sq ft (33,000 m2) |
| No. of floors | 4 |
| Parking | 1,800 |
| Public transit access | Powell Street station |
The Metreon is a large shopping center in downtown San Francisco, California. It sits at the corner of 4th Street and Mission Street. This four-story building is about 350,000 square feet. It was built over part of the underground Moscone Center, a big convention center.
Metreon first opened its doors on June 16, 1999. It was meant to be the first of many "urban entertainment centers" by Sony. These centers combined places to eat, play games, listen to music, see exhibits, shop, and watch movies. Sony wanted this $85 million project to be like a theme park for its products. It was also designed to make the Sony brand seem cool and advanced.
In 2006, the Metreon was sold to Westfield Group, a company that develops shopping malls. They changed it into a mall focused more on food. By 2011, many of the original stores had closed. Westfield then started a big renovation, again focusing on dining. They also brought in Target, which now has a large department store on the second floor. In April 2012, Westfield sold Metreon to Starwood Capital Group. However, Westfield (and its new company, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield) still manages the building.
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Metreon's Early Days: Fun and Games
When Metreon first opened, it had many exciting attractions. There was a movie theater with both regular and IMAX screens. One popular spot was an "edutainment" show called The Way Things Work. This show used audio-animatronics (moving robots) and 3-D films to teach visitors about how things work.
Another fun area for younger kids was based on Maurice Sendak's book Where the Wild Things Are. This play zone shared a floor with a restaurant inspired by another of Sendak's books, In the Night Kitchen. For older kids and teens, there was an arcade and bar called the Airtight Garage. It featured unique games based on a graphic novel by Jean "Moebius" Giraud.
Metreon was a hub for Sony products. It often hosted special events when new items were released. People would flock there to get popular items like the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation 3. In October 2001, Metreon even hosted an anime festival. It partnered with Sony's anime TV network, Animax, to show many anime videos.
Changes Over Time
Sony had hoped Metreon would be very successful. They opened two more centers in Tokyo and Berlin in 1999. However, the original San Francisco center did not make as much money as expected. By mid-2001, "The Way Things Work" exhibit had closed. The "Where the Wild Things Are" play area also closed a few years later.
The games in the Airtight Garage arcade were not very popular, except for one called Hyperbowl. This was a 3D bowling game where you used air-supported bowling balls as trackballs. Over time, other, more well-known games replaced the original ones. The arcade eventually closed and reopened as Portal One, keeping the cool decorations and Hyperbowl. Portal One closed in 2007, and the arcade was later relaunched as a Tilt.
The 16-screen AMC movie theater was a big success. It became one of the most profitable theaters in the country. Many people visited Metreon just for the movies. However, the agreement meant Metreon did not get money from ticket or snack sales.
By 2002, there were rumors that Sony wanted to stop managing the property. In February 2006, Metreon was sold to The Westfield Group. This company also owned the nearby Westfield San Francisco Centre shopping mall.
In early 2009, Sony announced it would close its Sony and PlayStation stores. These were the last main Sony stores in the mall. After this, on March 3, 2009, the city approved plans to renovate Metreon. The new plan was to make it a "restaurant-focused" mall. Changes included moving the main entrance and adding a food terrace facing Yerba Buena Gardens.
Metreon Today
The Metreon building was redeveloped, and a Target store opened there in October 2012. Target now leases about 99,677 square feet of space. Other businesses in the Metreon today include the AMC theater, which now has its own entrance. There is also a food court, Chronicle Books, Massage Envy, National University, and The City View event space. Several food places are also located there.
The Sanraku sushi restaurant and Buckhorn sandwich shop are still in the new food court. Jillians, another restaurant, is now only accessible from outside. The movie theater has also been updated. The IMAX auditorium now uses a new laser projector. Dolby Cinema and recliner seats have also been added for a better movie experience.
Since 2023, Cal Hacks has hosted its yearly hackathon event at The Metreon.
Cool Features at Metreon
The Metreon 16, which is an IMAX 3D movie theater and Dolby Cinema theater run by AMC Theatres, and Jillians restaurant, were the only original attractions that stayed open when Target arrived in 2012.
The Walk of Game was a special feature at Metreon. It was similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but for video game legends. Honorees included famous creators like Shigeru Miyamoto and Nolan Bushnell. Popular game characters like Super Mario, Sonic The Hedgehog, and Link from The Legend of Zelda series were also honored. Special Walk of Game events happened in 2005 and 2006. With Target now on the second floor where the Walk of Game was, it is likely no longer there.
Between May and November 2009, a farmers' market operated seven days a week. It was in the space where the Discovery Channel Store used to be.
In October 2019, Tsuta ramen shop opened in the Metreon. This shop is famous for its delicious ramen and has even earned a Michelin-starred award in Tokyo, Japan.
