As part of U.S. Route 101, Lombard Street runs east/west from the Golden Gate Bridge, serving as a gateway to San Francisco travelers crossing the Bay from the north. Along this vital route, Murano sits at the corner of Pierce Street, straddling several of San Francisco’s most prominent residential neighborhoods, including the Marina, Cow Hollow and Pacific Heights. It is close to the Union Street Commercial District to the south, and the vibrant Chestnut Street to the north.

The building’s design was inspired by the lines of movement in the surrounding landscape. From the site, the back of the famous hill on upper Lombard Street is visible, and the serpentine streaks of light that follow the topography on the opposite side served as inspiration. This sinuating movement is expressed in ribbons of metal panel that rise and fall between window sills and floor slabs along the building’s facades. The panels are perforated to allow light to pass through, while the color has been selected to match the material color of the Marina area.

Behind the panels, the glass window wall jogs in and out, creating areas of depth that give the building a vertical push, while visually relating to the forms of the traditional townhouses nearby.

Murano contains 22 for-sale units. Along Lombard, ground level retail has been included to activate the pedestrian experience.