San Francisco

With its historic but dilapidated waterfront, San Francisco has decided to restore the shoreline that could greatly influence the future of the city both environmentally and economically. The Port, contemplating between a piecemeal rebuilding pier-by-pier and a singular comprehensive construction of the waterfront, invited architecture and landscape firms to submit the reimagined proposals.

Global design firm HASSELL, known for their innovative recreational projects, envisioned an approach to preserve the significant history and culture of the pier while creating a sustainable green corridor in a playful manner. In order to activate the Embarcadero as an "interconnected greenway," HASSELL plans on developing the ecological areas along the waterfront as well as improving the accessibility between the recreational land with the surrounding transit hubs.

+ 12

+ 22

• Architects

  Edmonds + Lee Architects

• Location

  San Francisco, California, United States

• Lead Interior Designers

  Edmonds + Lee Architects

• Other participants

  BDE

• Project Year

  2018

• Photographs

  Matthew Millman

+ 28

• Architects

  David Baker Architects

• Location

  San Francisco, California, United States

• Interior Architecture

  Gelfand Partners Architects

• Project Year

  2016

• Photographs

  Bruce Damonte

+ 44

• Architects

  M-PROJECTS

• Location

  San Francisco, CA, United States

• Lead Architects

  Amir Mortazavi of M-Projects

• Other participants

  Steve Mohebi

• Area

  13000.0 ft2

• Project Year

  2018

• Photographs

  Joe Fletcher, Sahra Jajarmikhayat

+ 26

• Architects

  Valerio Dewalt Train Associates

• Location

  San Francisco, CA, United States

• Lead Architects

  William Turner, Matthew Gamache, Dana Stiernberg, Olivia Calalo, Mojdeh Kasraie

• Other participants

  Media Objectives at Valerio Dewalt Train (Branding and Experiential Graphic Design), Novo Construction (General Contractor), WBE (Electrical Contractor), Anderson, Rowe & Buckley, Inc. (Mechanical Contractor)

• Area

  34000.0 ft2

• Project Year

  2016

• Photographs

  Jasper Sanidad

• Architects

  Feldman Architecture

• Location

  San Francisco, CA, United States

• Design Team

  Taisuke Ikegami, Lindsey Theobald, Nick Polansky, Humbeen Geo

• Lighting Design

  Techlinea Lighting + Integration Design

• Area

  5000.0 ft2

• Photographs

  Adam Rouse Photography

In Metropolis Magazine's latest - and last - installment in their annual design cities review, the focus is not on output or culture but on cities themselves as the point of inspiration. For the designers surveyed, these were the cities that made their hearts beat a little faster; the ones that remained in their minds and wormed their way into their work.

+ 8

• Architects

  Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects

• Location

  San Francisco, CA, United States

• Area

  130064.0 m2

• Project Year

  2018

• Photographs

  Tim Griffith, Vittoria Zupicich, Kyle Jeffers

+ 13

• Architects

  Michael Hennessey Architecture

• Location

  San Francisco, United States

• Area

  2787.0 ft2

• Project Year

  2014

• Photographs

  Adam Rouse

+ 15

• Architects

  Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

• Location

  San Francisco, CA, United States

• Architect

  Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

• Design Team

  Gregory Mottola, Douglas Speckhard, Reuben Alt, Sandy Lam, Helene Gregoire, Nicholas Backal

• Area

  50000.0 ft2

• Photographs

  Matthew Millman

Studio Gang has released images of their proposed high-rise MIRA residential scheme in the heart of San Francisco. Currently under construction, the 400-foot-tall tower will contain almost 400 residential units when completed, 40% of which will be below market rate.

The scheme's design is centered on the evolution of the bay window element, a feature common to San Francisco’s early houses. The bay window is reimagined in a high-rise context, twisting across the full height of the tower to offer views across the city.

+ 6

+ 31

• Architects

  Fougeron Architecture

• Location

  San Francisco, United States

• Lead Architects

  Anne Fougeron, Todd Aranaz

• Area

  2500.0 ft2

• Project Year

  2017

• Photographs

  Joe Fletcher Photography

This article was originally published by Metropolis Magazine as "The Skyscraper's Innovative Structure is Changing the Game for Earthquake Design".

The most remarkable thing about 181 Fremont—San Francisco’s third-tallest tower, designed by Heller Manus Architects—is not the penthouse’s asking price ($42 million). Rather, it’s an innovative yet unglamorous structural detail: a viscous damper system that far exceeds California Code earthquake-performance objectives for buildings of 181 Fremont’s class, allowing immediate reoccupation after a seismic event.

+ 12

• Architects

  Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

• Location

  2 S Park St, San Francisco, CA 94107, United States

• Principal

  Greg Mottola, FAIA

• Project Manager

  Christopher Orsega, AIA

• Designer

  Alex Gregor

• Area

  1200.0 ft2

• Photographs

  Matthew Millman

+ 25

• Architects

  Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects

• Location

  Golden Gate National Recreation Area, U.S. 101, San Francisco, CA 94109, United States

• Principal in Charge

  Marsha Maytum

• Project Architect

  Christine Van Wagenen

• Area

  70000.0 ft2

• Project Year

  2017

• Photographs

  Bruce Damonte

+ 22

• Architects

  Edmonds + Lee Architects

• Location

  San Francisco, United States

• Area

  3000.0 ft2

• Project Year

  2016

• Photographs

  Joe Fletcher

One year after the launch of Resilient by Design's Bay Area Challenge, led by TLS Landscape has presented the final nine design concepts. The Bay Area Challenge launched with a call to action to "bring together local residents, community organizations, public officials and local, national, and international experts to develop innovative solutions that will strengthen our region's resilience to sea level rise, severe storms, flooding, and earthquakes." The idea formulated as a “blueprint for resilience” that can be replicated and utilized locally and globally. Other urban challenges will also be addressed, including housing, transport, health and economic disparity as a means of not just protecting the current regions, but strengthening them.

The elite, collaborative teams include world-renowned designers like BIG, Mithun and HASSELL+.

Read on for more about each of the final design concepts.

+ 46