Volume creates installations honoring Bayside Canning history in Palo Alto
Volume, a design firm led by principals Adam Brodsley and Eric Heiman, created two exhibit installations for Sobrato Real Estate's restoration of a former cannery building in Palo Alto into a LEED-Platinum office space. The installations honor Thomas Foon Chew, a prominent Chinese American industrialist who built the Bayside Canning Company into the nation's third-largest canning operation after the 1906 earthquake. The outdoor totem and interior exhibit use forms referencing canning crates and labels, blending historical imagery with contemporary typography. The project involved community input and collaboration with Foon Chew's descendants. Work began in late 2023 and was completed by a May 2026 ribbon-cutting.
Key facts
- Volume designed installations for Sobrato Real Estate's cannery restoration in Palo Alto.
- Thomas Foon Chew owned Bayside Canning Company, which became the third-largest canning company in the U.S.
- Foon Chew took over from his father after the 1906 earthquake.
- The installations include an outdoor totem and an interior exhibit.
- Design references canning crates and historic can labels.
- Community and Foon Chew's descendants were involved.
- Project started in late 2023 and finished by May 2026.
- The building is being restored as LEED-Platinum office space.
Entities
Artists
- Adam Brodsley
- Eric Heiman
- Thomas Foon Chew
Institutions
- Volume
- Sobrato Real Estate
- Bayside Canning Company
Locations
- Palo Alto
- California