ARMORY STUDIOS
Historical building with Moorish revival style, in the north of Mission, becoming a place of sports meetings
This historic building located in the north of Mission has a curious history. An impressive fortress built at the turn of the last century, its distinctive Moorish Revival style makes it a neighborhood landmark. Armory Studios was originally the armory and arsenal of the California National Guard. In the 1920s, it became the venue of choice for sports events in the state of California, especially big boxing matches like the one between Mike Teague and Jack Thompson, earning the nickname "Madison Square Garden of the West." Then the building found another function, being used as a studio for the filming of cult movies like Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back! Several scenes taking place in spaceships were filmed there. At that time, the stairs of the main entrance of the armory also became a famous skateboard spot called "3-Up 3-Down". In 2007, a most amazing conversion took place, as Kink.com, a famous pornographic website, bought the fortress for 14.5 million dollars. The company set up filming studios, which could be visited, before finally moving its offices there. In January 2018, the building was sold for $65 million to SF Armory LLC, The new owner said he plans to convert the top two floors of the building into office space and lease the rest to businesses.
Did you know? This review was written by our professional authors.
Book the Best Activities with Get Your Guide
Members' reviews on ARMORY STUDIOS
The ratings and reviews below reflect the subjective opinions of members and not the opinion of The Little Witty.