A new pair of towers proposed for downtown San Francisco would include the city’s second-tallest building - and perhaps its most startling public space, an open-air plaza set beneath the main tower’s elevated first floor.
The project straddles the northwest corner of First and Mission streets, with a 605-foot tower on Mission and a broad 910-foot high-rise on First. By comparison, the Salesforce Tower under construction on the southeast corner will top off at 1,070 feet.
Amid all this, plans for the project submitted to the city call for three small buildings at the northwest corner to remain, fragments of the aged city among the colossi of the new.
“We like maintaining that historic connection,” said Michael Covarrubias, president of TMG Partners, the developer. “Those three buildings capture the fabric of the city and where it has been.”
The lead architect for the project is Foster + Partners, the celebrated English firm doing the doughnut-shaped Apple headquarters in Cupertino. If built as now envisioned, the San Francisco tower would be equally futuristic, with brawny structural columns slicing across a mid-block space 80 yards wide. Except for the elevator lobbies at the rear of the plaza the tower would begin 70 feet in the air, clad in glass and held in place by diagonal columns forming giant X’s along the outer walls.
This is AMAAAAYZING. San Francisco’s skyline is growing so quickly. Now that Salesforce is rising, it will take the #1 spot on the West Coast. Though the Wilshire Grand project in LA will also be significant, SF’s overall skyline is much more substantial, and now it will have the height to really stand out.
Seattle may also be getting a supertall. It has been a secret for some reason. Renderings were released but the developers quickly removed them from their site. I had a glimpse before they removed them and all I can say is that it looks similar to the London Shard only taller. Height around 350-400m.
Given the economy of Seattle, I’m sure it will rise in the near future. There is definitely demand for Class A office space, and Seattle has become a magnet for tech startups and major players. Even if we look at nearby Bellevue and Tacoma, those CBD’s are rising, especially Bellevue where its experiencing one if its largest transformations from residential, light rail, all the way up to new multi-purpose towers. As of 2013, the area (Metro Seattle) grew by 7-8% which for a city over 500,000 is incredible.
Likewise, San Francisco is also up there with cities over 500,000 when it comes to growth.
820 2nd Ave.? The developer, Urban Visions apparently has a reputation for biting off more than they can chew and not following through with projects. Given the very difficult approval process in Seattle (the render release is an example of what most developer in Seattle would never do before getting approved), many are speculating that the announcement was a ploy to gain entitlements for the site then selling it off to a more capable developer for something else. I do hope it gets built but it’s gonna be a long slog: just look at 5th and Columbia…
This looks beautiful, I love this new trio of towers in San Francisco. They really do add another layer to the city; concrete below, rising glass above!
This building looks amazing! Like you guys mentioned I would love something like this to be built in NY with this height The closest that I think we got was 30 Hudson Yards?
SF is really on a roll. Have you seen these shots recently? Looks like Manhattan.
Manhattanization is in full swing, whether the bastard NIMBYS like it or not!
Looks like 1 WTC for a minute (Salesforce tower u/c). Like if I was drunk, like tomorrow or New Years for example, I’d say that this would be 1 wtc in the shot.
Agreed 100 percent. 50 hy is so bland, imagine if this one was there instead! This tower reminds me of one of the visions for the grand central area. It was one of the 2 towers in the proposal that a giant ring was attached to.