Ghirardelli Square (former Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory)

Ghirardelli Square is a converted chocolate factory complex on the northern waterfront whose adaptive reuse in the 1960s transformed brick industrial buildings into shops, restaurants, and public spaces. The redevelopment, completed in 1964, is frequently cited as an early and influential example of historic-preservation-led urban renewal. The complex remains anchored by the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company shop and retains the factory's distinctive brick façades and square layout.