The Russ Building was designed by architect George W. Kelham in the Gothic Revival style, with a steel frame clad in terra cotta ornamentation. The lobby features marble floors, vaulted ceilings, and decorative metalwork that recalls medieval European architecture translated for a modern office building. The building was developed by the Russ family, whose patriarch, Emanuel Charles Christian Russ, had arrived in San Francisco during the Gold Rush. The family's real estate holdings made them one of the city's wealthiest dynasties, and the Russ Building was their signature project.

At 435 feet, the Russ Building was the tallest in San Francisco from its completion in 1927 until 1964. During those decades, the building defined the Financial District's skyline and served as a prestige address for law firms, financial companies, and corporate offices. The building's setback design, with the tower stepping back from the base, anticipated the zoning requirements that would shape later skyscrapers. The Gothic detailing gave it a dignity that the glass-and-steel towers that eventually surpassed it often lacked.

Today the Russ Building is dwarfed by Salesforce Tower, the Transamerica Pyramid, and dozens of other modern skyscrapers. But it remains a landmark, designated as a San Francisco Historic Landmark and recognized for its architectural quality. The lobby alone is worth a visit: the vaulted ceiling and marble detailing transport you to an era when office buildings aspired to the grandeur of cathedrals. The Russ Building proved that San Francisco could build vertically with style, setting a standard that the city's subsequent towers have alternately honored and ignored.