The Shell Building, a San Francisco Landmark, was designed by the architectural firm of George W. Kelham, Architect, in 1929.This building, including the terra cotta facade, suffered damage during the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. As a result, a complete exterior facade investigation of over 35,000 terra cotta units was performed by Carey & Co. The firm analyzed the existing condition from swing staging and made recommendations for repair or replacement, repointing and cleaning.