Oakland City Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oakland City Hall |
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| General information | |
| Type | Government offices |
| Location | 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza Oakland, California |
| Coordinates | 37°48′19″N 122°16′21″W / 37.8053°N 122.2725°W |
| Construction started | 1910 |
| Completed | 1914 |
| Owner | Oakland, California |
| Height | |
| Roof | 97.23 m (319.0 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 18 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Palmer & Hornbostel |
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Oakland City Hall
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| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
| NRHP reference No. | 83001170 |
| Significant dates | |
| Designated NRHP | September 15, 1983 |
Oakland City Hall is a very important building in Oakland, California. It is where the city's government works, including the mayor and the city council. This tall building was finished in 1914.
When it was built, it was the first really tall government building in the United States. It was also the tallest building west of the Mississippi River at that time!
Contents
Building Design and Look
The building was designed by architects Palmer & Hornbostel from New York City. They won a competition to design it in 1910.
The building is built in a style called Beaux-Arts. It looks a bit like a "rectangular wedding cake" because it has three main sections, or tiers.
Sections of the Building
The bottom part of the building is three stories tall. This section holds the mayor's office, the city council meeting room, and other important offices. It even used to have a police station.
Above the bottom part is a thinner, ten-story office tower. The very top floor of this section (the 12th floor) once had a small jail with an outdoor yard. This jail has not been used since the 1960s.
On top of the office tower is a two-story section with a clock tower. The outside of the building is made of white granite and terra cotta. Inside, you can see beautiful white and black marble.
A Special Nickname
The building was sometimes called "Mayor Mott's wedding cake." This was because former Oakland Mayor Frank Kanning Mott helped get the money to build the new City Hall. He also got married the same year construction began!
A Historic Landmark
In 1983, Oakland City Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as an important historical building.
Surviving Earthquakes
After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the building was badly damaged. It had to be closed right away. Instead of tearing it down, city leaders decided to fix it and make it stronger against future earthquakes. This process is called "seismic retrofitting."
How it Was Repaired
To make the building safer, workers cut the steel columns in the foundation. They replaced them with special rubber bearings. These bearings allow the building to move safely during an earthquake. Steel beams and concrete walls were also added to make the structure even stronger.
Now, the building can move about 18 to 20 inches (45 to 50 cm) sideways during an earthquake. The repair project cost $85 million. It was part of a bigger plan to improve downtown Oakland.
See also
In Spanish: Ayuntamiento de Oakland para niños
