Transbay Terminal Contruction Cam: 7/27/10
While the Temporary Transbay Terminal officially opens (and the existing Terminal closes) on August 7, your first chance to explore the new Terminal and familiarize yourself with its operations is next Tuesday.
A special open house featuring “tours, refreshments, giveaways and more” will be held at the new terminal on August 3 from 4 to 7 PM. No word on the “more.” And not to be confused with the historical tours of the existing terminal this Friday.
Transbay Temporary Terminal To Open (Existing To Close) August 7 [SocketSite]
Transbay Terminal Historians (And Futurists) Take Note [SocketSite]

21 thoughts on “Temporary Transbay Terminal “Sneak Peek” Next Week”
  1. “tours”?! Of what?! Another “world class” design for a “world class” city. Just because it is temporary does not justify this. World’s Fair structures are temporary and are so nice many end up being saved for other uses. I have been to used car lots that are nicer than this!

  2. “and more. . .” – meaning that there will be model sleeping bags and shopping carts so that everyone can experience being a real-life bum. I hope they get that urine smell right.

  3. Seven years. Based on the development of the Bay Bridge, I have a feeling that this temporary structure will last more than seven years.

  4. Mixed blessing for Infinity. Easy access to a major transportation hub is a plus for bus commuters but will be interesting to see how it affects local traffic and its impact on visual/sound/air pollution.
    Major milestone in the development of the neighborhood but think it also marks the start of a multi-year period of little to no new activity in the area other than the terminal.

  5. Some of you whiners need to get a life. for god’s sake, its just an effing temporary transit terminal!!
    jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. lighten up.

  6. NoeArch, have you not seen other Temporary Transity Terminals in trade publications or in your travels? Do you ever look at AU, Domus,Architecture d’Aujourd’hui, or the AIA journal? I think some of the temporary transit terminals created for Winter and Summer Olympics are far better than what we will be stuck with for 7 years. On a recent trip to Australia I was fascinated by some of their outdoor transit terminals that took advantage of their similar temperate climate with very creative structures that actually provided SHELTER from the rain, sun and wind. But what is worse, as an architect, wouldn’t this be a fun challenge? Even with this limited site and budget, don’t you think designers should be asked for more?
    Certainly we could have done better than this, and we REALLY need to raise the design vocabulary of this city! The Palace of Fine Arts was a “temporary” structure, but the public liked it so much they wanted it saved. Imagine!

  7. sorry, bitterarch, but I think you’re way off base…yea, I know this is temporary and no, I’m not trying to lower the bar or make excuses. but, seriously!!!
    The shelters have a design sense to them. there are trees. there is a plaza.. I think we both aspire to great design in this city, but, for what this little terminal serves, and for a low, low budget, it works. and things are gonna be just fine.

  8. Traffic now is a cluster F* in the area due to the lane realingments and bus lanes….and we don’t even have buses running yet. Another 7+ years at least. Sigh.

  9. Not sure what there is to tour here since it basically looks like a parking lot with a few small buildings and carports…
    but it’s nice to see the project as a whole moving forward.
    it’s pretty boring looking but it is temporary (although it may be there longer than 7 years) and it’s not like the immediate area is that much nicer. it’s basically surrounded by parking lots and an elevated highway and an office building.

  10. Actually providing shelter would also provide opportunities for bums to take refuge, but based on much feedback here and elsewhere denying bums a comfortable spot is one of the more important goals for this facility. The tours are for the old structure which is historic apart from any judgments about “world class” or other such.

  11. I like the plaza with the palm trees which will have a SoCal feel. I hope there’s a coffee shop there, though there are local coffee shops close by. Not that I will use the facility…

  12. ^^”denying bums a comfortable spot is one of the more important goals for this facility.”
    So are you saying that they wanted this to be as uncomfortable as possible? What would happen with the new Transbay Terminal and rooftop park? I would think such a nice new facility would become a homeless magnet? I’m confused. Are we forcing people to stand in the wind and rain (there is no way these “shelters” will provide true protection for 7 years) just so that homeless people will not sleep there at night? What a city!

  13. Well, the rooftop park would be less homeless friendly than a ground level park, for the sole reason it would be more difficult to bring the shopping carts up.
    I saw a guy in military fatigue painfully pushing his cart up a steep section of Taylor in Russian Hill a few months back. The poor guy was probably looking for a decent and safe place, but from what I saw he will probably stay within the shooping cart line the next time.

  14. “So are you saying that they wanted this to be as uncomfortable as possible?”
    Obviously not. This temporary terminal provides comfortable places to wait for buses without being a fortress that provides suitable places to camp out. If you can’t tell the difference between the two, then you shouldn’t be commenting on architectural designs.
    The idea that San Francisco’s South Beach gets so much challenging weather that travelers need substantial and robust constructions in order to endure waiting for buses is creative fiction, but not compelling material for design choices.
    The new long term facility and its rooftop park is something else entirely. The most obvious difference is that camping sites provided by the historic Transbay Terminal are easily accessed from the streets, but the proposed roof top park requires entering the facility and going up escalators or elevators and access can be closed off overnight.
    There has been plenty of opportunity for superior designs to be put forward, so where are the superior alternatives and what are the specific features that make them better?

  15. Not related directly, but did you know there are 400 kids in the Rincon Hill neighborhood’s four child care centers Monday through Friday? One of the centers is located on the other side of Main Street from the Temp. terminal. Wouldn’t it be great to set up a temporary playground on The Port’s triangle of unused asphalt at Howard/Steuart/The Embarcadero for these hundreds of kids who visit while mom and dad are at work nearby?
    I have my champagne ready for when the TJPA demolishes that ramp over the corner of Beale and Howard. 🙂

  16. Mole Man, nice collection of straw men.
    SOMA does get strong wind most days, starting mid afternoon. It rains in SF from time to time. Have a look at a traditional bus stop shelter. Note the 3 vertical sides, to block wind and wind-driven rain. Note the roof at human height, not giraffe, such that it blocks sun at hours other than 10AM-2PM. Note that they work, are inexpensive, and unpretentious.
    Notwithstanding all that, the best shelter for this bus station will be a friendly neighborhood bar or coffee shop. Maybe that’s the plan all along.

  17. Jame I think you have something there. I live at that triangle and right now it’s a landing spot for the homeless and the lady who feeds the pigeons. Looks like the Y uses it during the summer to line up their charges for day camp. And,it’s always used as a port-a-potty lot for Bay to Breakers, and other sundry events that happen on that stretch of Embarcadero. It would have to be a small playground, though, and I think the childcare center on Main actually has a rooftop playground which has been renovated as of late. (The crane taking out concrete each Saturday)
    I will gladly join you when those ramps are demolished.

  18. Ahh… So that’s what the crane has been doing on the weekends.
    Well, I must give credit to a neighbor at The Infinity for approaching me with the idea of a temporary or permanent playground on that triangle bit of land. I connected her with an Examiner reporter, so you may read more in that paper in the next few days … We’re talking with The Port about possibilities right now.

  19. completely agree w/noearch. These Olympic cities have run themselves in the red financially after hosting, and can not easily repurpose the temporary buildings, yet too much sunken cost to demo. Architects have unfortunately been blamed for their esoteric vision. These shelters are to be demo’ed so it’s the right thing to do.

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