Beneath the Bay mural in San Francisco

The mural “Beneath the Bay” is a community art project at Pier 19 on the Embarcadero, proposed and painted by 1AM Projects with support from the Port of San Francisco. The project is sponsored by Levi’s as part of These City Walls, a 25-mural initiative championing community art and local revitalization. Special mentions are Benjamin Moore & Co and RainguardPro for the paint and coatings.

The design celebrates the diverse communities, history, and natural beauty of the San Francisco Bay. Rendered in a surreal, playful style across three large window-like panels, the mural highlights the stories and icons that define the waterfront.

Honoring the Embarcadero’s past as one of the busiest rail corridors in the world, the mural features a 1912 Type A train which was honored with historical guidance from the San Francisco Railway Museum, whose preservation work inspired the tribute.

A kaiju-scale octopus wraps around the windows, referencing both the Bay’s marine life and the 1955 film It Came from Beneath the Sea, in which a radioactive octopus attacks the San Francisco waterfront, a nod to early Cold War pop culture. A sea lion and crab, two beloved local symbols, playfully interact with miniature versions of the Ferry Building and Transamerica Pyramid, suggesting a larger-than-life presence in the city’s story.

The anchor element pays homage to San Francisco’s deep maritime heritage including commercial, passenger, and public service. The inscription “Welcome Home” at the top echoes the message once painted across the piers to greet returning World War II soldiers. A second WWII reference appears in the Razzle Dazzle camouflage pattern subtly incorporated into the Bay Bridge’s left span, recalling the disruptive ship camo used during wartime.

All three panels share a unified above-and-below-the-sea composition, celebrating the beauty of both worlds. A rising sun, iconic Bay fog, and deep blue waters frame the scene in a distinctly San Francisco palette.

Daniel Pan, born and raised in San Francisco, carries a deep connection to the city, shaped by growing up near the Bay after his family immigrated to the area for maritime work.

Antoine Marnata, raised in France, first encountered San Francisco’s Embarcadero and its piers at age 12 through the 1999 classic Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, a moment that sparked his fascination with the city. When he finally visited in 2011 as a teenager, the waterfront was one of his first stops.

Together, Marnata and Pan bring these personal ties to life in the mural, blending memory, imagination, and place.