Fidi tour handout 2.pdf
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This document summarizes several mid-century urban development projects in downtown San Francisco, including the Golden Gateway Redevelopment Project (1961-1968), Sidney Walton Park (1968), the Market Street Beautification Project (1971), Crown Zellerbach Plaza (1959), Embarcadero Center (1971-1981), and several other notable buildings from that era. It describes the goals and key design features of these projects, which aimed to bring more residential and open space to the financial district through high-rise development and pedestrian networks elevated above street level.
Fidi tour handout 2.pdf
- 1. EXPLORING MID-CENTURY DOWNTOWN SAN FRANCISCO Docomomo US/ Northern California Chapter docomomo-noca.org GOLDEN GATEWAY REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT, 1961-68 ARCHITECTURAL TEAM: WURSTER, BERNARDI & EMMONS; DEMARS & REAY, ANSHEN & ALLEN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: SASAKI, WALKER ASSOCIATES The concept behind this development was to bring residential de- velopment to the Financial District, clearing away the city’s former produce district. It created two separate circulation systems, one for cars at ground level and one for pedestrians, elevated above the street by stairs and roof terraces. Two layers of parking create a podium on which sit high rise towers, with two-story townhouses clustered around them. The townhouses and their walled gardens create a “village” arrangement, attempting to add a human touch to the big high-rise development. Although the project imitates the city, the users are brought above the noise and traffic and are given a place for meeting and relaxing. Bridges connect it to other por- tions of the project and maintain the separate circulation network for pedestrians. SIDNEY WALTON PARK, 1968 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS: SASAKI, WALKER ASSOCIATES FOUNTAIN DESIGNER: FRANCOIS STALY The Sidney Walton Park is the only place within the redevelopment project where your feet touch earth; the only true piece of earth. Unlike the many surrounding buildings, there are no strong geom- etries within the park. Rather, it is a metaphor of nature: a bit of abstracted nature deliberately contrasting with the hard, geometric city. The park offers the user a place to enter, to sit in the grass and to engage with nature. There are no traditional benches, and many low horizontals, inviting the user to sit or lie down in the grass. Strong vertical elements in the fountain, and the trees themselves, guide the eye up, contrasting with the horizontals. These verticals were also meant to mimic the towers which were originally planned to surround the park. @docomomonoca facebook.com/docomomonoca @docomomonoca 1 8
- 2. MARKET STREET BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT, 1971 ARCHITECTS: LAWRENCE HALPRIN, MARIO CIAMPI, JOHN CARL WARNECKE & ASSOCIATES The Market Street Beautification Project was initiated in hopes of creating a grand boulevard for San Francisco, reaching from the Ferry Building to the Castro, as well as an attempt to tie the two sides of the city together. It was envisioned as a pedestrian-oriented sequence of open spaces, created by narrowing the driving lanes of the street, laying down 35-foot-wide sidewalks, and transforming the odd shaped lots resulting from the diagonal street into plazas or mini-parks. Brick pavers, Victorian light fixtures, street trees, street furniture, and other elements were to be used throughout to help visually unify the city’s core. The Muni line was to be moved un- derground, as were many BART stations. Remaining above-ground BART stations were also designed to integrate with street design. CROWN ZELLERBACH PLAZA, 1959 ARCHITECTS: SKIDMORE, OWINGS & MERRILL, AND HERTZKA & KNOWLES FOUNTAIN DESIGNER: DAVID TOLLERTON The Crown Zellerbach office building is one of San Francisco’s best modern skyscrapers, and is San Francisco’s answer to New York City’s Lever House (also designed by SOM). Its crisp, cleanly detailed curtain wall is detached from the building’s structural col- umns, expressing its role as a thin membrane. The office floors and the vertical circulation core are expressed as two separate volumes. Entirely transparent, the lobby allows the exterior space to flow into the building. The abstract, modern plaza ties the round build- ing (formerly a bank) and the office tower together. Metaphorically, the plaza is meant to invoke water, using a Japanese-inspired rock paving on the ground planes. The raised podium of the building’s base, the bridges which link the podium to the street, and the rail- ings at the building’s lobby contribute to the feeling that the objects are floating. The plaza is designed to be looked from above rather than to accommodate pedestrian use. Also notable nearby: 44 MONTGOMERY, 1966 (ARCHITECT: JOHN GRAHAM) EQUITABLE LIFE BUILDING, 100 MONTGOMERY (ARCHITECT: WILBUR PEUGH, COMPLETED BY ARCHITECTS W.B. GLYNN, A.J. LOUBET, 1955) HALLIDIE BUILDING,1918 ARCHITECTS: WILLIS POLK Completed in 1918, the Hallidie Building is one of the most unusu- al and modernist-leaning buildings of the early 20th century. It is believed to be the earliest glass curtain wall building in the U.S. This Pedestrian network from the Better Market Street Plan. Reproduced, copyright Lawrence Halprin Collection, The Architectural Archives, University of Pennsylvania. EMBARCADERO CENTER, 1971-1981 ARCHITECTS: JOHN PORTMAN AND ASSOCIATES LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS: SASAKI, WALKER ASSOCIATES The Embarcadero Center was the biggest single downtown de- velopment in any American city since the construction of the Rockefeller Center in New York City. Portman’s Peachtree Center in Atlanta, Georgia (started in the early 1960s) had, however, al- ready established the concepts and architectural prototypes for the Embarcadero Center project; including precast concrete facades and tile paving, with plants, fountains, and art throughout. Key to Portman’s proposal was his ‘coordinate unit’ concept, which cre- ates a series of interconnected spaces and blocks, with retail and office uses brought above the street level. Bridges spanning the cross streets allow pedestrians to move freely through the center for five blocks, without the interruption of traffic. More than just circulation, these bridges are also hanging plazas, containing seating and planted terraces. Public art is also prevalent throughout, with Portman’s goal being to make a “living sculpture garden.” Overall, developers spent more than $3 million on artwork. The floor tile pattern, created by Heath tile, unites and unifies the five block area. The trailing, spilling Rhoicissus plants at the vertical openings em- phasizes the interconnectedness of the levels as well. The spaces are also filled out with mass plantings of low ground cover and bay trees in planters. When it was first being constructed, the overall master plan in- cluded four office towers, two hotels, three levels of retail, and a cinema. The site is 8.5 acre, with 2.75 million square feet of con- struction and 200,000 square feet of open space. The center was constructed at a cost of $375 million. Also notable nearby: TRANSAMERICA PYRAMID ALCOA BUILDING AND PLAZA, 1964 ARCHITECTS: SOM LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: SASAKI, WALKER ASSOCIATES FOUNTAIN DESIGNER: JOHN WOODWARD The Alcoa building was the first to use its structural system as an “exoskeleton”, creating the building’s strong visual identity. It is of- ten compared to the John Hancock Tower in Chicago, which was designed later but uses a very similar structural system of X-brac- ing. The building sits one story above the street, surrounded by pla- zas that form a platform to view the city from, protected from the traffic below. The east plaza, a perfect circle in a square, contains the “dandelion fountain” by John Woodward, the first of its kind in the United States. The plazas are flanked by fenced sculpture courts, with sculptures placed asymmetrically. The Alcoa Building is part of the Golden Gateway Redevelopment project, and is its sole office building. 7 2
- 3. seven-story building was predictive of the much cleaner Interna- tional Style buildings and skyscrapers that would come many years later. It is also unusual as an extremely modernist-leaning work by architect Willis Polk, who worked for many years for Chicago ar- chitect Daniel Burnham on the West Coast. In 1970, the building was the subject of one of the earliest preservation battles after San Francisco introduced city landmarking. When the building was pro- posed as a city landmark, the owner at the time, Lorena Mayer, the widow of Hollywood movie mogul Louis B. Mayer, fought the des- ignation. But thanks to huge local support, including architects at Skidmore Owings & Merrill and the American Institute of Archi- tects, the city’s supervisors voted along with the planning depart- ment to designate the Hallidie Building a San Francisco Landmark. It is also on the National Register. Also notable nearby: 450 SUTTER, 1929 (ARCHITECTS: J.R. MILLER & TIMOTHY PFLUEGER) BANK OF AMERICA BUILDING, 555 CALIFORNIA, 1972 ARCHITECTS: WURSTER, BERNARDI & EMMONS; SOM 555 California, designed by Wurster, Bernardi and Emmons in part- nership with SOM, was San Francisco’s tallest building from 1969 to 1972, and is still known for its carnelian-colored granite and bronze-tinted glass facade. The building’s sculptural form makes it unique amongst the many box-shaped towers of the financial dis- trict, and is evocative of the bay window and a more domestic scale. The Transamerica Pyramid surpassed 555 California in height, but the latter remains larger in floor area, at 30,000 square feet, uninter- rupted by structural columns. Also known as the Bank of America Tower, the building shares the site with a pre-war high-rise, a pla- za, which takes up approximately half of the site, and an adjacent “pavilion.” Wurster, Bernardi and Emmons were well-known local architects, with many projects throughout the Bay Area and North- ern California, including BART and work on the Golden Gateway Redevelopment Project. SOM was and still is an international archi- tecture firm with extensive experience with high-rise design. Also notable nearby: ST MARY’S RECTORY, 660 CALIFORNIA, 1966 (ARCHITECTS: SOM) 580 CALIFORNIA, 1987 (ARCHITECTS: JOHNSON/ BURGEE ARCHITECTS) INTERNATIONAL BUILDING, 601 CALIFORNIA HARTFORD INSURANCE BUILDING, 650 CALIFORNIA, 1964 (ARCHITECTS: SOM) WELLS FARGO BANK HEADQUARTERS, 464 CALIFORNIA, 1959 BANK OF CALIFORNIA ADDITION, 400 CALIFORNIA ARCHITECTS: ANSHEN AND ALLEN This rough hammered concrete, brutalist style addition is juxta- posed with the classical Corinthian column type of the existing bank. Preservation consultant James Marston Fitch, founder of the historic preservation at Columbia University, helped Anshen and Allen to contextualize the addition, giving it the same fluted col- umns as the bank. The skinny vertical windows of the bank are used in the addition, but turned horizontally. JOHN HANCOCK BUILDING, 1959 ARCHITECTS: SOM LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: LAWRENCE HALPRIN A modern expression of the classical order, this building takes the standard San Francisco idiom and attempts to bring it into the modern era. The base is a series of concrete arches which curve out towards the street. Bisecting the arches is a light-weight mezzanine structure, which also provides cover to the sidewalk below, and is faced in teak. A strong shadow line between the main volume of the tower and a concrete cap provides the reading of a cornice. The building is supported by exterior concrete bearing walls, which allows for column-free interior spaces. The mezzanine floor was designed for the John Hancock Company offices and opens out to a geometric garden designed by Lawrence Halprin. With its mod- ern interpretation of traditional urban forms, and the gesture to the street made by the concrete arches and storefronts, the John Han- cock Building was a highly influential project, provoking imitations throughout the 1960s by such architects as Minoru Yamasaki and Edward Durrell Stone. BETHLEHEM STEEL HEADQUARTERS, 100 CALIFORNIA, 1959 ARCHITECT: WELTON BECKETT Similar in design to SOM’s Inland Steel Company Building in Chi- cago, this building stands out for its use of exposed white marble and gray granite column grid, visible along the east and west ele- vations. The dramatic exterior steel columns were meant to reflect the strength and dignity of this building’s corporate owner. The building has been modified over time, most recently in 1999. As a result, seismic bolts appear rhythmically along the columns, and the stairs and plaza that once seemed to float have been reconstructed and now appear grounded. Unlike the John Hancock building, this design disdained contextualism, explicitly rejecting historicism and ornament. In subsequent years, retail space has been added to the lower levels as well. John Hancock Building An undated postcard showing the Bank of America Building’s (555 California St.) Carnelian Room restaurant, which closed in 2009. Lever House, New York Bank of California Addition 3 6
- 4. TOUR STOPS A. Market Street Beautification Project & Crown Zellerbach plaza B. Hallidie Building C. 555 California D. 400 California E. John Hancock Building F. 100 California G. Embarcadero Center H. Alcoa Building and Plaza I. Golden Gateway Redevelopment Project J. Sidney Walton Park OTHER NOTABLE BUILDINGS 44 Montgomery (John Graham) Equitable Life Building (100 Montgomery) 450 SutterSt Mary’s Rectory 580 California (Philip JOhnson) International Building (601 California) Hartford Insurance Building (650 California) 464 California Transamerica Pyramid 5 4
- 5. from justin: Here is the text for some of the “notable nearby buildings”.. this is also additional text that could be eliminated if there isn’t enough room St. Mary’s Rectory, 1966 (660 California Street) Architect: SOM St. Mary’s Rectory represents the local efforts of the Catholic Church to embrace modern art and architecture in accommo- dating new liturgical forms and create ecclesiastical buildings that resonated with modern audiences. This small religious building designed by Edward Charles “Chuck” Bassett of SOM stands out given the firm’s reputation for designing large Corporate Modern structures. (580 California), 1987 Architect: Johnson/Burgee Architects Although this building is distinctly Post Modern it is notable for the 12 haunting statues located at the penthouse level de- scribed by the artist as the Goddesses of Capitalism. Hartford Insurance Building, 1964 (650 California) Architect: SOM When this building opened in 1964 it was the tallest building in California. Prior to the Hartford Insurance Building, the tallest building in San Francisco was the Russ Building, while in Los Angeles it was their City Hall. Wells Fargo Bank Headquarters, 1959 (464 California) Architect: The base of this building is clad in Raymond California Granite ALCOA PLAZA 1964 SASAKI ,WALKER ASSOCIATES, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT JOHN WOODWARD, FOUNTAIN DESIGNER: The Alcoa Plaza building is strongly gridded, geometrical and symmetrical. The plaza creates a platform to view the city from, protected from the traffic below. 4 belvederes on each corner of the building also offer viewpoints to look out from and down on the city Two large square plazas on exist either side of the entrance lobby. The east plaza, a per- fect circle in a square, contains the “dandelion fountain” by John Woodward, the first of it’s kind in the United States. The plazas flanked by fenced sculpture courts, with sculp- tures placed asymmetrically. GOLDEN GATEWAY REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT 1961-68 WURSTER, BERNARDI & EMMONS/ DEMARS & REAY/ ANSHEN & ALLEN, ARCHITECTURAL TEAM. SASAKI, WALKER, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS. The concept behind this development was to maintain the urban grid of the surrounding city by mimicking its fabric. Composed of layers of parking, townhouses and high rise towers, the project is a platform for creating an abstraction of the city. In further creating the city, the central square of the project is the village green, with a modern vocabulary. Built with this kit of parts to create an urban scene, this project attempts to add a human touch to a big development. There are two separate circulation systems, one for cars at ground level and one for pedestrians, elevated above the street by stairs and roof terraces. Although the project imitates the city, the users are brought above the noise and traffic and are given a place for meeting and relaxing. SIDNEY WALTON PARK 1968 SASAKI, WALKER ASSOCIATES, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, FRANCOIS STALY, FOUNTAIN DESIGNER The Sidney Walton Park is the only place within the redevelopment project where your feet touch earth; the only true piece of earth. Unlike the many surrounding buildings, there are no strong geometries within the park, rather it is a metaphor of nature; a bit of abstracted nature deliberately contrasting with the hard, geometric city. The park of- fers the user a place to enter, to sit in the grass and to engage with nature. There are no traditional benches, and many low horizontals, inviting the user to sit or lie down in the grass. Strong vertical elements in the fountain, and the trees themselves, guide the eye up, contrasting with the horizontals. These verticals were also meant to mimic the towers which were originally planned to surround the park. BANK OF CALIFORNIA ADDITION, 1967 (400 CALIFORNIA) ARCHITECT: ANSHEN AND ALLEN This rough hammered concrete, brutalist style addition is juxtaposed with the classical Corinthian column type of the existing bank. Preservation consultant James Marston Fitch, founder of the historic preservation at Columbia University helped Anshen and Allen to contextualize the addition, giving it the same fluted columns as the bank. The skinny vertical windows of the bank are used in the addition, but turned horizontally. EXTRA STUFF, DO NOT PRINT