SAN FRANCISCO | Salesforce Tower | 1,070 FT (326 M) | 61 floors

[dimondpark]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

^^Bring a parka. I moved to SF from Orlando 35 years ago and literally wore a thick, puffy down coat through my first Bay Area summer. And next week we are due for typical summer weather: daytime highs in the 60s wth 20 mph winds and morning fog. If you are brave you can shed the parka for maybe a hoodie in the afternoon when the sun comes out.

I was just in New York last week, had a great time, but the humidity was just gawd awful

Stepped out of SFO upon arriving at home and I was soooo happy to feel the cool breeze

[Pedestrian]

^^You were not acclimated to Florida like I was and MiamiSpartan probably is. My own reaction now would be a lot like yours but not when I was a Floridian. Anyway, just trying to be helpful. Want him and other visitors used fo 90 degree "summers" to enjoy SF and be able to check out Salesforce and other new buildings without shivvering on the sidewalk.

[dimondpark]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

^^You were not acclimated to Florida like I was and MiamiSpartan probably is. My own reaction now would be a lot like yours but not when I was a Floridian. Anyway, just trying to be helpful. Want him and other visitors used fo 90 degree "summers" to enjoy SF and be able to check out Salesforce and other new buildings without shivvering on the sidewalk.

Definitely a good idea to bring a light jacket.

[botoxic]

Goodbye redwoods and funicular, hello LED sidewalk and gondola. From Socketsite:

The approved plans for the future half-acre Mission Plaza at the base of the Transbay/Salesforce Tower feature a grove of 20 redwood trees, a 41-foot-tall sculpture assembled from blocks salvaged from the old terminal on the site and a funicular from the plaza to the new City Park atop the new transit center.

But based on a shadow study of the redwoods commissioned by Salesforce, which has been lobbying for a more open plaza with the potential to host events at the base of their future headquarters with Boston Properties’ support, new plans for Mission Plaza have been drawn, eliminating the grove and sculpture and changing the funicular to a gondola.



From the summary of the new plaza plan which is to be presented to San Francisco’s Planning Commission next week:

Eliminating the redwood grove will allow much more natural light into the plaza, and enhance the movement of people from the Transbay Center. The plaza will be paved with in-ground LED light fixtures within the former tree wells, which will provide a unique experience for visitors. The gondola enclosure, which will become more prominent within the plaza, has been redesigned to respond to the curvature of the surrounding buildings with a steel and glass structure.

http://www.socketsite.com/archives/2...aza-plans.html

[pizzaguy]

Axe the gondola. Bring back the redwoods.

[cv94117]

Originally Posted by pizzaguy

Axe the gondola. Bring back the redwoods.

I agree. The gondola is hokey idea that wastes a lot of precious plaza space and will probably be closed or broken most of the time.

[mt_climber13]

Making good progress

[MyCitySFO]

Wow! the fog is almost down to ground level... I think by tomorrow it will be. That cloud deck is getting thicker every day.... Great picture! jk... I think it's cool... really

[ozone]

Originally Posted by pizzaguy

Axe the gondola. Bring back the redwoods.

I agree with you about the gondola but not the redwoods. I get why they decided not to place them there. Sunlight in downtown SF is too precious of a commodity. Instead of the gondola why don't they just put in some new age escalator? Regardless of anything else I think we can all agree the elimination of that weird junk sculpture is a big plus.

[Pedestrian]

^^Recall the TransAmerica has a redwood grove at its base. It always seemed to me we were developing some kind of unwrtten rule that SF's current "tallest" had to spring out of a redwood forest. IMHO, this is much to urban and urbane a location for a north coast setting. I agree with Salesforce, essentially.

As for the mode of getting to the rooftop park, a gondola seems clunky to me. Maybe it's too high for an escalator but I see that as ideal if not. I don't like discreet quantums of people having to go up together. Better a continuous mode like an escalator.

[Jerry of San Fran]

1) It did not make sense to me to plant a tree that grows tall on the roof. A tree with a limited natural height makes more sense to me.

2) I hated the freeway debris sculpture & am glad to see it nixed.

3) An escalator would be okay but would need to be covered against the weather. Look at the BART/MUNI escalator mess because they are not protected from the weather. There would be no need for an attendant.

4) A gondola could work. They work fine everywhere where there is a ski resort. A proven conveyance. It would take the least amount of air space with a couple of cables.

5) I've been on funiculars in a few places. I think it is the most expensive option.

[SLO]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

^^Recall the TransAmerica has a redwood grove at its base. It always seemed to me we were developing some kind of unwrtten rule that SF's current "tallest" had to spring out of a redwood forest. IMHO, this is much to urban and urbane a location for a north coast setting. I agree with Salesforce, essentially.

As for the mode of getting to the rooftop park, a gondola seems clunky to me. Maybe it's too high for an escalator but I see that as ideal if not. I don't like discreet quantums of people having to go up together. Better a continuous mode like an escalator.

I totally agree. Even when the sun is in full force in SF, its most pleasant. No need for more shade.

[pseudolus]

Since everyone's opining, I'll join in:

I think there needs to be a very visible fun way to get up to the park as a way to lure first-time visitors. I thought the funicular, which reminds me of Angels Flight in LA was a good way to do this. I'm not sure the gondola will be as novel or appealing.

I liked the sculpture and am sorry to see it go. I'm more disappointed that there won't be a replacement. I'm really ticked off that the artist designed something that wasn't feasible given the budget but still got paid anyway. Anyway, San Francisco has a terrible of history of shooting down public art, so I cringe when yet another proposal dies.

I'm very concerned about what Salesforce has in mind for "events". I suppose they mean something like the lunch time concerts that all the other plazas occasionally have. My thought is that these should be in the park itself. It will have spaces for such things and will, I think, be in desperate need of the activation that these events provide. If on the other hand Salesforce means closed, private corporate events, then f--- 'em.

[viewguysf]

Originally Posted by Jerry of San Fran

1) It did not make sense to me to plant a tree that grows tall on the roof. A tree with a limited natural height makes more sense to me. I hated the freeway debris sculpture & am glad to see it nixed.

Just a couple of notes...

They were going to plant the redwoods on the plaza level, never on the roof. I thought the original intention was for the funicular to rise between them.

The sculpture was being created from remnants of the old Transbay Terminal, hence the significance.

[pseudolus]

Originally Posted by Jerry of San Fran

freeway debris sculpture

maybe you're thinking of the Vaillancourt fountain? j/k

That only looks like freeway debris and the allusion only became apparent after the freeway was torn down 20(30?) years later. Vaillancourt could see into the future, it seems.

[mdsayh1]

Am I making an incorrect assumption that there will be plenty of interior ways to reach to rooftop park in the terminal? If that is correct then I don't see why they need to construct anything on the exterior to get up there.

[Blesha13]

Is there an official date the tower will open?

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by mdsayh1

Am I making an incorrect assumption that there will be plenty of interior ways to reach to rooftop park in the terminal? If that is correct then I don't see why they need to construct anything on the exterior to get up there.

The only reason they need to construct exterior ways to get to the rooftop park is because (a) it was an important architectural feature of the original plan for the park that they advertized widely to the public when it approved the project and (b) the idea was to invite the wider public--not using the transit options in the terminal and therefore not otherwise needing to enter the terminal--to use the park. The park was supposed to be a place for people with downtown offices to eat lunch in the sun and all sorts of people to do the same, not uniike New York's "high line". Some of these people walking by or around may be reluctant for whatever reason to go into the terminal (especially if it is successful and therefore crowded) and if there's an external route to the top staring them in the face the may use it.

[MyCitySFO]

Happy Birthday America! woo hoo! SFT should really pop out tonight when the fireworks go off. All that reflective glass should show up good on all pics and vids taken tonight. It's only 8:23 am right now.. so in about 13 hours and 15 mins the show should start. "Facebook Tower" aka 181 Fremont, should also reflect the light show pretty good.

[pseudolus]

Originally Posted by MyCitySFO

Happy Birthday America! woo hoo! SFT should really pop out tonight when the fireworks go off. All that reflective glass should show up good on all pics and vids taken tonight. It's only 8:23 am right now.. so in about 13 hours and 15 mins the show should start. "Facebook Tower" aka 181 Fremont, should also reflect the light show pretty good.

You must be new to the city. Chances are it will be foggy and the fireworks will not be visible except for the clouds lighting up from within.