Cesar Chavez Student Center and the old J. Paul Leonard Library (Updated two months ago)

You can view this bundle in the SFSU Over the Years collection area.

A view of the newly completed Cesar Chavez Student Center, its angular “iceberg” design visible in the foreground, with the original J. Paul Leonard Library rising behind it. Completed in 1975, the Student Center’s distinctive pyramidal forms were created through a collaborative design process led by architect Paffard Keatinge-Clay. The adjacent library, opened in 1954 and later renamed for President J. Paul Leonard, anchors the evolving architectural landscape of the campus.

Tags: sf state buildings and architecture

Added to SFSU Over the Years on July 31, 2026.

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Information

  • Identifier: TP-ATA-0635
  • Context: <p>A signature building of the San Francisco State campus is the Cesar Chavez Student&nbsp;Center. The unique design was one of seven proposals which students had voted on in 1966. Originally, the proposal of Canadian Architect Moshe Safdie had won the student vote. The administration dismissed his design following the 1968 Student Strikes and welcomed back the other finalists to design a student&nbsp;center&nbsp;that could be &ldquo;a place that facilitated student gathering but not student uprising," described in architect Paffard Keatinge-Clay&rsquo;s biography. The final design was created by Paffard Keatinge-Clay in collaboration with student input through the form of a class. Together they designed an &ldquo;iceberg&rdquo; building with two pyramids. &ldquo;The pyramid of silence is aligned with the axis of the north star, and faces northeast for &ldquo;quiet, introspective activities; while the second pyramid faces west&rdquo; and is intended for more &ldquo;boisterous, public activities."&nbsp;The building was completed in 1975.</p> <p>The Library first opened its doors in 1954.&nbsp;In 1976, the San Francisco State Library was renamed the J. Paul Leonard Library after the University&rsquo;s fourth president. Leonard played a major role in expanding the university by opening the 19th and Holloway campus.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Credits:</strong>&nbsp;Some descriptions were developed with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI language model by OpenAI.</p>
  • Geographic Coverage: San Francisco, CA
  • Type: Still Image
  • Format: 35mm Slide
  • Source: San Francisco State University Archives
  • Rights: Public

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