The Axiom — San Francisco, USA

It was only a matter of time before San Francisco’s flourishing tech scene was cited as a source of inspiration for a hotel or restaurant, but perhaps less likely that it would be applied in a tasteful manner. The Axiom, a boutique hotel located near the city’s busy Union Square, has managed to pull off such a feat rather neatly. Located in a building that was once the old Turpin Hotel — which dates to 1908 — and recently transformed by New York firm Stonehill & Taylor, The Axiom is both technologically advanced and contemporary, despite its historic setting.
Welcomed via a dramatically lit tunnel, guests are given their first glimpse of The Axiom’s consistent references to both the city’s famous cable car system and its start-up culture on arrival. A network of lines, cables and connections symbolising the two appear throughout the entire property, via lighting wires and exposed pipes, amongst other things, and are a constant reminder of what the city now represents.
Elsewhere, original iron railings, columns and moulding sit alongside newer innovations like ‘glitchings’ — digital portraits that morph into pixels and back again — while the clean, neutral palette of guestrooms is punctuated with shots of magenta and powder blue, brought together with luxe finishes, like leather headboards and mid-century styled furnishings. The Turn Café, a double-height venue serving dishes made with local and organic ingredients, serves as a metaphorical drawing board for guests and local alike, with a deconstructed chandelier looming large, perhaps waiting to indicate that next big lightbulb moment.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
28 Cyril Magnin Street
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Osteria del Mare brings a slice of coastal Italy to The Strand
Spanking fresh fish is the house speciality in this new London restaurant with a menu inspired by the Tuscan seaside
By Ben McCormack Published
-
This rehabilitated arthouse cinema in the Netherlands romanticises the silver screen
Visum Mundi is an eco-conscious, boutique cinema nestled in the heart of Wageningen, Netherlands
By Daven Wu Published
-
This auction gives you a chance to snap up rare Maison Martin Margiela
The largest ever auction of Martin Margiela’s work at his eponymous maison, collectors will be able to bid on 270 items from 1988-1994, from rare clothing to sketchbooks and ephemera
By Jack Moss Published
-
Osteria del Mare brings a slice of coastal Italy to The Strand
Spanking fresh fish is the house speciality in this new London restaurant with a menu inspired by the Tuscan seaside
By Ben McCormack Published
-
Where to eat Thai food in London
London’s best Thai restaurants each offer their own unique spin on the cuisine that push boundaries and present new culinary experiences. Browse our pick of the best
By Rosie Conroy Published
-
Harrods revives beloved 113-year old restaurant, The Georgian
Redesigned by David Collins Studio, The Georgian at Harrods in London is where art deco artistry, elegance and theatrical flair collide
By Ben McCormack Published
-
Claridge’s welcomes ultra-chic new suites by Bryan O’Sullivan Studio
The newly inaugurated Brook Suites at Claridge’s, are uplifting, tactile and in touch with the revered London hotel’s timelessness
By Billie Brand Published
-
Chef José Pizarro’s artful new ode to Spanish dining in London is called Lolo
Lolo, located in London’s fashionable Bermondsey Street, offers a taste of Extremadura in an art-filled setting
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
The world’s most enticing new hotel openings
Explore the best new hotels in the world, from beachfront living at Cheval Blanc Seychelles to otherworldly Zaha Hadid architecture at Me Malta
By Nicola Leigh Stewart Last updated
-
First look at Belmond’s new ‘romantic and nostalgic’ luxury train
Belmond introduces the Britannic Explorer, the first high-end sleeper train experience in England and Wales
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
London bar Bauhaus Warehaus is a factory by day, drinking den by night
Mixologist of the moment Remy Savage shakes up the world of cocktail-making with a hardworking sibling to A Bar with Shapes for a Name, his Bauhaus-inspired bar enterprise in east London
By Neil Ridley Published