Mayor of San Francisco Gavin Newsom held an unveiling ceremony in City Hall where three potential designs were revealed for a new transit terminal. Each of the designs conveyed a clear indication of the direction many would like the terminal to go in… and that direction is upward. More than a thousand feet upward to be specific. Bay area officials are looking to make a statement with the construction of this terminal and want particular emphasis to be placed on the benefits it will provide for transportation by bridging the bay with the rest of California, particularly Southern California. The three designers also incorporated sustainable elements, such as wind turbines, in the design for the building. San Francisco continues to evolve over time, and if the plans for the new transit terminal are any indicator of the future for this city, we can look forward to many exciting changes to come. Below is an article from the San Francisco Chronicle that contains further information on this topic.
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BOLD PLANS FOR THE TRANSBAY TERMINAL
The West Coast’s tallest building: 3 competing ideas show audacity that adds to the city’s rising skyline
John King and Jonathan Curiel, Chronicle Staff Writers
Tuesday, August 7, 2007Three competing proposals for what would be the tallest building on the West Coast were unveiled Monday in San Francisco amid architectural hyperbole and political buzz.There’s no guarantee that any of the towers will be built, or that the design to be selected next month by public officials will reach the heights envisioned by the development teams. But the audacity of the designs — and the favorable response from elected officials — showed that the recent startling changes to the city’s skyline are only a prelude to what could lie ahead.“There they are,” San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said with a wave of his right hand as black mesh was pulled from three lavish large models. The event was held in a crowded event room at City Hall filled with dozens of people and several television crews. “Today is an historic day.”The three proposals range in height from 1,200 feet to 1,375 feet — each extending well past the 853-foot Transamerica Pyramid, the tallest tower in San Francisco. And each is accompanied by a transit terminal that is intended to function as a major civic gateway. Read the rest of this entry »
