The Vault at Levi Strauss & Co.

Levi Strauss & Co. approached us to redo their corporate archives. “The Vault”, located in the lobby of its San Francisco headquarters, is one of the most fascinating corporate archives in the world. We were tasked with designing an experience that showcased the company’s remarkable collection of historic artifacts—some of which date back to the mid-1800s.

The space was designed for both international visitors and the company designers. The former can explore historic artifacts in a revolving closet, learn how to date 501® jeans, and share their stories with the world, while the latter uses the space as a resource for inspiration and company history.

I was given the opportunity to work on an all–new signature exhibit for the California Museum in Sacramento that explores the history of Chinese Americans in California from the Gold Rush to the present day.

“Gold Mountain: Chinese California Stories” tells the story of Chinese immigrants over the past 150 years. In their stories, visitors see the contribution that Californians of Chinese descent have made to the state’s economy, governance, and culture; all while triumphing over racism and other obstacles with ingenuity and perseverance.

Role

Lead 3D Designer + Director of Design

Employer

West Office Exhibition Design

Client

Levi Strauss & Co., San Francisco CA

Team Members

Steve Wiersema (Principal at West Office)

Duration

12 Months

Size

2,000 sq. ft.

Photos

Photos courtesy of West Office.

Visitors learn how vintage 501® jeans are dated by identifying unique design elements that were added or changed since the initial release of the jeans in the 1800s. Next, visitors are given the chance to apply this knowledge to date a vintage pair of jeans themselves.

A custom tablet-based system enables visitors to record and share their Levi’s memories with the archive team and, should they choose, the rest of the world.

Visitors can explore iconic clothing that was worn during some of the biggest pop culture events of the last 100 years such as the original Star Wars trilogy, Woodstock, etc.

There are several sets of freestanding exhibits that enable the visitor to view some of the most icon Levi’s artifacts in pop culture history.

Process

There was a desire to reuse as much of the existing structures as possible while at the same time create an exhibit that felt fresh and was easily updated. We started out by analyzing the existing space and structures to determine what can be reused.

Visualizing the space and the elements composing the new exhibit was a crucial step in the design process. The 3D modeling started almost immediately in order to help the clients visualize the changes we were proposing help them understand how the reused elements would change.

The final design package was approved by the client and then submitted to several fabricators for bidding.