September 1, 2013 By Nora Zelevansky Wall Street Journal Magazine
SILICON VALLEY’S VIRTUAL MASTERMINDS have created a real-world destination: The Battery, a members-only social club in San Francisco founded by tech power couple Michael and Xochi Birch of social-networking site Bebo. Starting this fall, patrons will be encouraged to exchange ideas salon-style over wine from the 600-label cellar.
To create the space, architecture firm Fee Munson Ebert overhauled the façade or the city’s landmark 1907 Musto Plaza building, a onetime marble factory in Jackson Square. Residential designer Ken Fulk took charge of the 60,000 square foot interior, opting for poppy colors and eclectic details in rooms like the casual 717B restaurant and the maritime-themed Barbary Coast Library. While a penthouse and two rooftop suites (part or a public 14 room boutique hotel housed within the space) feature modern details like transparent walls, the private Musto Bar evokes Deco-style continental glamour. “The space should feel exciting and energizing, but somehow familiar, too-like you’ve dropped into the cool kid’s house,” says Fulk. “There isn’t anything in San Francisco like it.” The club has already locked in its first hush-hush 100 members; membership will be capped at 1,200. Think the Soho House for the fleece-friendly California set.