March 10, 2008

San Francisco’s Transbay Terminal: Website And Community Meeting

San Francisco's Transbay Terminal and Tower: Rendering (Image Source: pcparch.com)

The Pelli Clarke Pelli website dedicated to their proposed Transbay Terminal, Tower and City Park has added a number renderings, charts, and animation since the last time we looked.

San Francisco's Proposed Transbay Terminal: Rendering (Image Source: pcparch.com)

And according to a plugged-in reader (and NBC11), a community meeting and update on the terminal by the Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) is scheduled for 6PM tonight (3/10/08) at the Calvary Presbyterian Church (2515 Fillmore Street).

Transbay Transit Center And Tower: Pelli Clarke Pelli [pcparch.com]
SF To Hold Meeting On Tallest Skyscraper On West Coast [NBC11]

First Published: March 10, 2008 1:48 PM

Comments from "Plugged In" Readers

Love the giant "trashcan in the air" sculpture.

Posted by: anon at March 10, 2008 2:04 PM

All of these train station designs look wonderful. However, unfortunately, I have a mental association of pee-smell with public transportation in SF (don't you like that cool pee-breeze as the train comes into the station). These stations should be optimized in how to keep them clean rather than architectural elegance.

Posted by: Ezekiel at March 10, 2008 2:19 PM

I agree with Ezekiel.... I'm very tired of having to hold my breathe for 2 blocks when I walk home to South Beach from the Fini District every day. Not that I have anything against the homeless, but I pray they knock down the current hobo-haven overpasses, and make the new development very hobo-unfriendly, and encourage these people to seek out shelters as opposed to the streets. That much urine in a 2 block radius can't be sanitary ...

Posted by: phatty at March 10, 2008 2:49 PM

My company has offices on either side of the Turdbay Terminal, as we call it. So funny, I also hold my breath when I walk under the overpass every morning. I feel like I need a shower after walking through all the 'mystery fluid' streaming out of the bus waiting area. They really should shut it down NOW, it is just disgusting and wrong that the City allows people to sleep in there and use it as a bathroom.

Posted by: gh at March 10, 2008 3:05 PM

The rendering isn't realistic unless it includes pigeons...

Posted by: Delancey at March 10, 2008 3:05 PM

I still don't understand how they figure anyone will take the time to climb 5 stories up to that park on the roof... unless you have a lot of time on your hands. (read: bums will love it)

Maybe they can put some small cafe's or something up there. People will need an excuse to go out of their way up there, or they won't.

Posted by: Mike at March 10, 2008 3:25 PM

Doesn't that interior shot remind you of the basket from war of the worlds into which tom cruise was deposited with the the other unlucky souls before being sucked into the giant anus of the alien machine? or is it just me?

Posted by: tim lewis at March 10, 2008 4:42 PM

uhh...where are the 555 mission tower and the millennium tower in these renderings?

Posted by: palms_rez at March 10, 2008 5:04 PM

What is the point of the "park" on the roof? Who would really ever want to go up there? They should get rid of the roof-park immediatly, or this new terminal will become the world's largest homeless shelter. I still miss the SOM design. Sigh.

Posted by: anonfedup at March 10, 2008 5:05 PM

anyone who doesn't want to 'climb' up the escalator to the rooftop park can stay the h*ll out then. it'll leave more peace and beauty for me to enjoy.

It looks like a stunning public park space!

And people will be proven wrong once it's built -- the park will be utilized. And not just by the homeless -- who will most likely be disallowed to hang in the park.

Posted by: Gabriel at March 10, 2008 7:45 PM

Maybe it's all the palm trees that gave them the edge of over SOM?

Posted by: Timosha at March 10, 2008 8:26 PM

"bums"? "hobos"?
who the hell are you people posting on this site? did you all just arrive from 1950s Kansas City or something?

Posted by: city boy at March 10, 2008 11:19 PM

I think the best definition I have read of Transbay is from Yelp...

"it's where pee and poo are combined with rotten food and foul alcohol to produce the most offensive stench known to men".

Posted by: anoncomplainer at March 11, 2008 4:39 AM

@city boy: I like your thinking. Free perfume is a start.

Posted by: ezekiel at March 11, 2008 5:54 AM

It lookds purdy to me...everyone keeps asking for nice architecture...seems like its designed in a stylish way. what do all the critics of orh think?

Posted by: cooper at March 11, 2008 7:18 AM

The sooner this project starts the better. I believe there are escalators to the garden level.

Maybe the bums will forget about the transbay area while it is closed for the next five years. Certainly a place like the Westfield center has been successful in keeping the bums away.

Posted by: anon at March 11, 2008 8:10 AM

I don't see any bay windows on the building... I'm sure the SF planning commission will fix this oversight soon enough.

Posted by: sb at March 11, 2008 10:37 AM

Yes, they'll need somewhere nearby to migrate. A friend works at the Westfield for Microsoft...he says the entire office enjoys the bum sex that goes on down in the alley. You haven't lived until you've seen hobo love after a drug deal.

Posted by: gh at March 11, 2008 12:10 PM

[Once Again, Removed By Editor]

[Editor's Note: While the wheels might have completely come off the comment bus over on another thread, that doesn't mean we're going to allow it to happen here.]

Posted by: Recent ORH buyer at March 11, 2008 2:29 PM

It finally hit me what this design reminds me of and it is the architecture of the Magic Kingdom Tomorrowland at Walt Disney World in the 70's. The whole base structure is exactly like the main walkway structures and the canopy design perfectly copies the waiting area for Space Mountain. How nostalgic!

Posted by: anonandon at March 11, 2008 5:40 PM

Totally safe, symmetrical, heavy handed, ultimately boring -- its perfect for SF, land of architectural mediocrity. There are such better tower designs happening around the globe, and we get this dildo?

Posted by: vortekxt at March 11, 2008 10:22 PM

Whats wrong with the park?? I love the idea of the roof of a building doing something more than just being a roof... like producing oxigen for example!! be the home of little birds! etc! We need trees people, hello!

Posted by: Pedro at April 10, 2008 11:31 PM

The design is amazing, and the hight is agreeable too. Progress people! The last tallest building built was in '72! And the sidewalks will be bigger as the building will be set back from the street. The park is a great idea too.

Posted by: King J at July 27, 2008 3:51 AM

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