I Magnin Building

When Timothy Pflueger’s radical design was revealed on Union Sq in 1948, SF society was shocked: San Francisco’s flagship clothing store appeared completely naked. Stripped of deco adornment, Pflueger’s avant-garde white-marble plinth caused consternation – until Christian Dior himself pronounced it ‘magnifique.’ Today it’s a collection of luxury boutiques with new interiors. Pflueger’s daring building remains Union Sq’s most timeless fashion statement, and was his final work before his untimely death of a heart attack at 54.