SAN FRANCISCO | Intercontinental Hotel | 340 FT / 104 M | 31 FLOORS

tech12 · #1 Posted **Oct 18, 2006, 3:26 AM**

I was surprised there was no thread for this one...so here you go!

The Intercontinental Hotel, 340 feet, and 31 stories, is currently under cunstruction at the corner of 5th and Howard streets, in the South of Market area.

Renderings:

The location from above. The site is the parking lot in the middle (next to the glassy building):

Some crappy cell phone pics I took this weekend:

Reminiscence · #2 Posted **Oct 18, 2006, 3:40 AM**

Right right, I forgot all about this project. The Intercontinental Hotel, I guess isnt all that significant when compared to the other projects rising up around the city, but is still a nice looking addition

Lecom · #3 Posted **Oct 18, 2006, 3:59 AM**

Nothing bad, nothing special. Will definitely add to the neighborhood though, and will be somewhat visible on the skyline. Also, it looks a lot like an office building rather than a hotel.

kenratboy · #4 Posted **Oct 18, 2006, 4:15 AM**

340' isn't as glorious as some of the stuff going up, but it is certainly a BIG building.

That lot is TINY!!!

AK47KC · #5 Posted **Oct 18, 2006, 6:42 AM**

Great project! This is another step foward in Manhattanizing South of Market.

Reminiscence · #6 Posted **Oct 18, 2006, 10:49 AM**

If only it was a bigger lot and at a more prominent location, maybe it would be more like the north tower of The Intercontinental Hotel here in Chicago ... no complaints though, this is a nice design

EastBayHardCore · #7 Posted **Oct 18, 2006, 3:11 PM**

That building next door is atrocious. Is that a surface lot AND grass I spy? Good riddance!

quashlo · #8 Posted **Oct 18, 2006, 4:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastBayHardCore

That building next door is atrocious.

Yes, what exactly is this building used for?
I guess I shouldn't be so surprised, though... We've got plenty of atrocious buildings here.

Hopefully, this project will help spruce up this section of Downtown and get rid of the ghastly parking lots. I for one would like to see more residential towers go in on this side of SOMA.

BTinSF · #9 Posted **Oct 18, 2006, 5:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by quashlo

Yes, what exactly is this building used for?
I guess I shouldn't be so surprised, though... We've got plenty of atrocious buildings here.

Hopefully, this project will help spruce up this section of Downtown and get rid of the ghastly parking lots. I for one would like to see more residential towers go in on this side of SOMA.

The building is a telephone exchange building (or a PG&E substation--I can't remember which, but it's definitely utility infrastructure) which is why its so ugly. All such buildings are pretty brutalist--no windows and such.

Actually, the location is a lot more "prominent" than you all are giving it credit for. It fills out the block of Howard St. (that would be the street going from lower left to upper right) where the new Moscone Center West takes up the rest (that's the building with multiple bay-like projections) and so is really in a perfect spot for convention-goers. Also, it's only a block from the new Westfield SF Center between 4th and 5th on Mission. Finally, my hope is that it will bring life and good things to the somewhat down-and-out stretch of Howard west of 5th.

Also, keep in mind that I have seen Planning Department documents that described Howard St. as a sort of "valley" between the taller highrises on lower Mission St. and those going up on Rincon Hill. That's why, for example, they were ahppy to approve the Foundry Square project on all 4 corners of Howard and 1st at "only" 12 and 13 floors (and expressed gratitude to the developer for not designing something taller). I wouldn't expect anything really tall on Howard (although I think one of the near-supertalls of the Transbay project may be on Howard between 1st and 2nd--if so, an anomally).

SFAttorney · #10 Posted **Oct 18, 2006, 5:33 PM**

I agree with BT. 5 years ago this area would have been a no-man's zone. But it is actually now a great location. If the picture was taken from the opposite angle you could see the W and the new St. Regis hotels right there, as well as the Sony Metreon and BOTH huge shopping centers (BTW, is there any thread on teh Westfield Center? I was there this weekend and it is incredible). The Science museum will move back to the Park in about two years (that is another great potential thread-- the new science museum construction, complete with living roof!). I think the IC will further push the boundaries of Yerba Buena further than they are now. I bet more items sprout up before no time.

FourOneFive · #11 Posted **Oct 18, 2006, 10:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by quashlo

Yes, what exactly is this building used for?
I guess I shouldn't be so surprised, though... We've got plenty of atrocious buildings here.

Hopefully, this project will help spruce up this section of Downtown and get rid of the ghastly parking lots. I for one would like to see more residential towers go in on this side of SOMA.

that building is actually a wells fargo call center. i believe some of their private banking operations are run out of there. if you walk by the front door on fifth street, you'll see a image of a stagecoach on one of the walls.

San Frangelino · #12 Posted **Oct 18, 2006, 5:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by tech12

It would be fantastic if this building sparked high-rise plans for the empty parking lots and industrial buldings surrounding it (always wanted to see the burlington coat factory building and the adjacent building that is temporarily housing the Science Museum torn up to make way for something of size and density.) I believe that the "Better Neighborhoods" plan calls for 6-8 story buildings to line the surroundng streets. A bit of a disapointment but stil good Parisian-style density. Still it would be lovely to see a cluster of skyscrapers form that would extend the skyline west-ward depending on what angle you view it.

Here's hoping for a bit "maybe"

J Church · #13 Posted **Oct 18, 2006, 5:31 PM**

Because of its location the Intercontinental will make more of an impact on the skyline than its size might indicate. The site is a couple of blocks southwest of the existing "edge" (more or less) of the downtown skyline and so it will appear to extend the skyline when viewed from the south, in the same way the Hilton does north of Market.

AK47KC · #14 Posted **Oct 18, 2006, 10:12 PM**

^^ I agree, those parking lots need to be replaced with highrises. They are a waste of space.

Reminiscence · #15 Posted **Oct 18, 2006, 11:51 PM**

Perhaps with office vacancies decreasing, those parking lots will eventually turn to highrises.

By the way, just out of curiosity ... was I the first to coin the term "Hong Kong-ization", or did it already exist from someone else?

tech12 · #16 Posted **Oct 19, 2006, 5:34 AM**

^^"hong kong-ization?" What exactly would that entail, as opposed to say, "mannhattanization?"

As for the burlington coat factory, i hope it doesn't get torn down anytime soon...half my clothes come from there

I would love to see the skyline continue more into this area of SoMa though.

LWR · #17 Posted **Oct 19, 2006, 5:50 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by tech12

^^"hong kong-ization?" What exactly would that entail, as opposed to say, "mannhattanization?"

As for the burlington coat factory, i hope it doesn't get torn down anytime soon...half my clothes come from there

I would love to see the skyline continue more into this area of SoMa though.

Guessing: Hong Kong-ization = Manhattanization on hills.

AK47KC · #18 Posted **Oct 19, 2006, 5:20 AM**

^^^ I guess so here at this forum. Verbally, I have mentioned it a few times.

kenratboy · #19 Posted **Oct 19, 2006, 5:39 AM**

I hear a lot of good things about Burlington, I need to check them out.

AK47KC · #20 Posted **Oct 19, 2006, 5:54 AM**

^^^Me too, in fact, I wish San Francisco did turn into another Hong Kong with highrises everywhere and in both the East Bay and San Mateo County.

Hong Kongnization is constructing skyscrapers on mountains, such as the 827 ft. (252 m) Highcliff built ~200 m up a steep mountain. Manhattanization is just constructing skyscrapers on flat land, and Manhattanization would better describe this project.