San Francisco, CA
Treasure Island – the name conjures a place of allure. The three ‘39 Fair buildings surrounding our site are deco architectures, stepped, arched and bowed, evoking memories of streamliners, ships and islands. Palm trees line the streets. Our building re-imagines these myths as its point of departure.
Traditional and modernist ideas of planning strove for coherence with variety. Today this has been replaced with neo libertarian ideas of diversity, often driven by marketplace development, where each building competes for individual impact in an aim to enhance value. Signature architecture is an aspect of this, and has led to another kind of uniformity where from Copenhagen to Mission Bay, Kings Cross to Emeryville, new sectors of cities all look about alike.
Treasure Island offers another opportunity of an identifiable architecture for a unique place, more like our earlier cities, where coherence supersedes diversity by unearthing specific potentials and challenges inherent in the uniqueness of the site.
The existing architecture to be preserved displays this coherence – formal, massive, streamline, aquatic, light colored, etc.
Our site is behind the Historic, horseshoe shaped, Building One. From this location, views of the city look around either side of the arc. Our building is a counter arc to optimize this look around.
The SOM Masterplan’s ‘Climatic Grid’ establishes a plan geometry to block wind and optimize sun. This same geometry is extruded vertically to establish a Climatic Facade which shelters wind, invites sun and points to views. The material of this façade is conceived as wind form, like sails of ships, billowing fins that layer the façade.
Building One’s central axis is the path from the Ferry Plaza to the Main Retail Street, and bisects our site. Our building is arranged around this axis, with the ends particularized to their specific conditions, stepping down to Clipper Cove and the Marina on one side, correcting to California Ave and the future development on the other. The counter arc pulls the building away from Avenue C’s bus traffic.
Level 1 has bookends of retail with residences in-between. The lobby is south of the passage, and accessed from both sides. The Climatic Façade on the west is mirrored by fins that create depth and block sound on the east. Units on the east have large porches 3’ above grade, accessed by stairs.
Levels 2 and 3 are double loaded corridors lined with units, with a bridge connecting across the passage. At Clipper Cove Marina units terrace back with large decks.
Levels 4 and 5 are townhouse penthouses – two story two bedroom units with decks on the living levels.
The rooftop has two connected amenity spaces and common outdoor areas.
There are 120 studio, one bedroom and two bedroom units. Two kitchen types and three bathroom types are used for the entire project.
There are 75 parking spaces in a basement that projects 3’ above existing grade.
Through the passage is a gateway to the future Retail Main Street, terminating in the vaulted roof façade of a historic warehouse.
