Historic San Francisco Church Reborn as Innovative Tech Hub

San Francisco's Lady of Guadalupe Church has served the community for more than a century despite major hurdles: first built in 1880, the original structure was destroyed by an earthquake and fire in 1906. Though a new Mission Revival church was rebuilt and consecrated by 1912, a local archbishop ordered the parish's closure 80 years later due to lack of priests and diminishing attendance numbers.

For the next 20 years, the church building served as auxiliary space for a local school and was ultimately put on the market. Finally, after years of being traded among investors and $10 million in renovations, the Lady of Guadalupe Church was reborn in 2019 as the 906 World Cultural Center—a cutting edge event space and learning hub.

Purchased in 2016 by Russian investment company GVA Capital Group for $7 million, the 11,000-square-foot complex including the church, a courtyard, and an adjacent structure now features a six-classroom educational center, a coliving residence, and an impressive event space that honors the building's original use.

“Our first task was to thoroughly analyze and restore all architectural elements according to the historical reference," explains the design team from Ukraine-based Balbek Bureau. “The historical and architectural image of the church was so strong that we decided to use the geometry of modern shapes and elements to emphasize it."

The team opted to maintain the church's general layout and design elements including marble columns, stained glass, and religious motifs on the walls and arched ceilings. The nave also remains the main area for seating for 200 people, but the space can be reconfigured depending on the type of event being hosted. In the wings, the team installed modern navy and gray sofas to be used as informal seating or breakout areas.

To further diversify the functionality of the space, Balbek Bureau installed a 36-foot-tall screen in the former altar area for more than 250 square feet of projection.

“In order to partially conceal religious themes of the stained glass, but still let the daylight into the church, we designed a multi-dimensional frame with translucent material stretched over it," representatives explain. “A distinctive feature of this frame is the absence of horizontal braces that prompts an interesting light refraction effect when the light passes through the stained glass, filling the church with colorful rays of light."

Balbek Bureau also tapped Ukranian artists Vladimir Manzhos, known as Waone Interesni Kazki (translated to Interesting fairy tales in English), Evgeniy Lapchenko, and Sergiy Maidukov to create dramatic pieces to bring the space to life. Located in the courtyard, Manzhos' mural touches on the connection between humanity and technology. Lapchenko also referenced these themes in his work, while Maidukov depicted the vibrant streets of San Francisco.

Today, 906 World Cultural Center hosts events like yoga, community classes and workshops focusing on professional development and personal wellness, musical performances, and a health and wellness fair.