San Francisco apartment building where Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera reunited hits market for $8 million
An apartment building in San Francisco where celebrated Mexican artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo reunited before remarrying has been listed for $8 million, according
An apartment building in San Francisco where celebrated Mexican artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo reunited before remarrying has been listed for $8 million, according to The San Francisco Standard. The 11-unit Art Moderne apartment building at 36-52 Calhoun Terrace on Telegraph Hill is regarded as both an architectural landmark and a site of cultural significance. Completed in 1938, the building is known for its unusual design, which cascades down the steep Telegraph Hill cliff rather than rising from it. Its dramatic cliffside construction, combined with its location on a narrow dead-end street, has made it one of the city's most distinctive residential buildings.
Officials say such a project would be nearly impossible to replicate under today's construction and safety regulations. “They literally don't build things like they used to,” the San Francisco Planning Department's chief of staff told The San Francisco Standard, describing the building as a product of a different era in the city's development. The structure owes much of its unique design to Telegraph Hill's history as a former quarry, which left behind the steep rock face on which the apartments were built. Each apartment spans roughly 950 square feet and offers panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay, waterfront and Treasure Island through expansive windows.
Many of the units retain original 1930s features, including hardwood floors, fireplaces and colourful tiled bathrooms. Beyond its architectural appeal, the building is closely linked to the lives of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Rivera moved into Apartment 42 in 1940 while working on the Pan American Unity mural for the Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island. At the time, Rivera and Kahlo had divorced. During his stay, Kahlo joined him in San Francisco, and the couple reconciled before remarrying at San Francisco City Hall in December 1940. The property has also appeared on screen, serving as a filming location for the 1952 film noir The Sniper.
The $8 million asking price reflects not only the property's value but also its architectural, artistic and historical significance, preserving a unique chapter in San Francisco's cultural heritage. Also Read | Natural Marble: Aludecor Reimagines a Timeless Classic for Modern Architecture Also Read | The New Architecture of Growth: Building Talent for a Changing Workplace
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