The Main Banking Hall at the Hibernia.
As we approached The Hibernia at 1 Jones Street, I knew instantly that we were in for a treat. If you have spent any time in the city you’ll surely recognize the exterior of this San Francisco landmark. A few of us from Orange Photography were there to scope out this new event space. Orange was also one of the sponsors for this event so our cofounder Gene was there to capture the fun. It was quite an experience from beginning to end.
In 1892 the Hibernia Savings and Loan Society built their Beaux-Art headquarters at 1 Jones, commonly known as the Hibernia Bank Building. After experiencing only minor damages in the 1906 earthquake and fire, the Hibernia Bank Building remained open until 1985. The Hibernia went unused from 1985 until 2016 when restorations began.
Once renovations were complete, the Hibernia reopened in 2017 and is now being offered as an event rental space.
The fine folks at the Hibernia have divided the 42,000 square foot space into 3 sections: the Main Banking Hall, the Lower Level and the Penthouse— which is where the event that we attended was held.
Entertainment by Circosphere.
We walked up to the Hibernia a little after 4 pm for an events industry Happy Hour. We were greeted at the entrance and led up the red-carpeted stairs. I particularly enjoyed the “red carpet experience” which is something you can add-on to your own event at this venue (Red Carpet provided by Bright Event Rentals). Once up the stairs we found ourselves inside the Rotunda Lobby where a band welcomed us. It really set the scene for a fun and lively event and undoubtedly made us feel very welcome.
We proceeded inside to the Main Banking Hall and I for one was completely in awe of the space. It was absolutely beautiful inside and the vastness was quite profound. There inside the Main Banking Hall we also got to enjoy some entertainment by Circosphere.
We were directed toward the elevator and went up to the top floor. There was an indoor loft space with plenty of room for a bar, several small tables plus a beautiful spread catered by La Bonne Cuisine.
DJ Airsun with Love in the Mix.
But the best was yet to come… the real show-stopper was the rooftop deck. Although it was a particularly dark and cloudy day– even for San Francisco– it was surprisingly warm atop the roof deck.
The space was great– stellar views of the skyline, tucked between several brick buildings and right next to the exterior of the rotunda that you can see from the street.
We took in the views while enjoying drinks by Tonic Beverage Catering, more food by Foxtail Catering and Music by DJ Airsun with Love in the Mix.
We were pleasantly surprised to discover that we could actually go inside the rotunda! Once inside, we discovered a ball pit photo booth by SnapFiesta which was such a fun and interesting use of the space.
Photo booth by SnapFiesta.
Overall the event was definitely one to remember. What really set it apart was the spectacular and diverse Penthouse space including 3 different and unique areas– the roof deck, the loft space and the rotunda. I look forward to the next opportunity to visit the Hibernia again!
The Hibernia will be offering customizable happy hour events like this one for 2-3 hour slots with a DJ included. A great alternative to your typical afterwork happy hour and perfect for company parties. For Penthouse Happy Hour packages please reach out to Patricia at patricia@thehiberniasf.com.
The roof deck at the Hibernia.
Special thanks to all the sponsors:
