Breuner Building - Oakland

The Breuner Building is currently the home of the California Genealogical Society & Library

The Breuner Building at 2201 Broadway, Oakland, California became the site of the John Breuner Furniture Company in 1931. The art deco terra cotta masterpiece was designed by prominent local architect Albert Roller.

Historical landmark columnist Annalee Allen described the Breuner Building as "an eight-story reinforced concrete building with a distinctive variegated sea-green glazed terra cotta front facade, constructed in 1931 to house the John Breuner Furniture Company store. Other noteworthy features of the building include Art Deco motifs, and a pair of stylized figures crafting a chair located over the front entrance."

The Oakland store was closed in the 1970s and sold by the company where, following renovation, the historic building reopened as an office building in the late 1970s.

The California Genealogical Society moved into the former Breuner Building in March 2007. As of 2012, the appearance of Ikea furniture, large yoga balls for sitting, and a flyer on the door indicating an entrance on the side heralded the move-in of a startup on the ground floor of the building - Spark Art.

photos CC SA-BY Our Oakland