by Brianna Crandall — April 15, 2013—Officials ceremonially broke ground on March 27 for the Transbay Transit Tower, the building designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects that will be San Francisco’s tallest upon completion in 2017. Standing 1,070 feet tall (326 meters), the office tower is projected to be the tallest on the West Coast and the seventh tallest in the United States, with the possible exception of the Wilshire Grand tower, which is currently under construction in Los Angeles and expected to open in December 2016 at a projected height of 1,100 feet (355 meters).
The 60-story tower will connect directly to the Transbay Transit Center , a multimodal transportation hub also designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects. Together, the tower and the transit center are intended to form the new heart of a revitalized neighborhood.
“The Transbay Transit Tower and neighboring Transbay Transit Center are powerful individual buildings designed with a common civic purpose—to create the 21st century gateway to San Francisco and a state-of-the-art place marker on its skyline,” said Fred Clarke, senior principal of Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects. “Embodying sustainable, transit-based development, the tower combined with the transit center is a model for the future of our cities.”
As described by the architects, the tower takes the timeless form of the obelisk and has a slender, tapering silhouette. The walls are composed of clear glass with pearlescent metal accents. These horizontal and vertical accents gradually taper in depth to accentuate the curved glass corners. The walls rise past the top floor to form a transparent crown that appears to dissolve into the sky, adds the firm. Carved into the tower top is a vertical facet that will be lit at night.
According to the Pelli Clarke Pelli site, each floor of the tower will have integrated metal sunshades, calibrated to maximize light and views while reducing solar gain. High performance, low-emissivity glass will also help to reduce the building’s cooling load. Cooling may be provided in part by heat-exchanging coils wrapped around the tower’s foundations. The tower and transit center also include comprehensive water recycling systems. In addition, high efficiency air-handlers will take in fresh air on every floor.
At its base, Transbay Transit Tower connects directly to the transit center, which will house 11 Bay Area transit systems. On top of the transit center and linked directly to the tower is a 5.4-acre public park, which will offer recreational, educational, and nature activities. The park has two intended roles: the future anchor of the neighborhood and a key element of the project’s sustainable design strategy, adds the firm.
Like the transit center, the design for the tower emphasizes sustainability and has the objective of attaining LEED Gold certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.
“Transbay Transit Tower will be a new icon for the city and state,” said Paul Paradis, Hines senior managing director. “The tower will also set a new standard for healthy and productive work environments.”
Hines and Boston Properties will develop the tower. The sale of land to the tower developers is helping to fund the transit center. Pelli Clarke Pelli, working with Hines, was awarded the tower and the transit center commission after winning an international competition in 2007.
Founded in 1977 and led by Cesar Pelli, Fred Clarke, and Rafael Pelli, Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects has designed some of the world’s most recognizable buildings, including the World Financial Center in New York, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, and the International Finance Centre in Hong Kong.
