A November groundbreaking is scheduled for the 2.3-million-sf Oceanwide Center in San Francisco that, when completed, will be part of this city’s ambitious creation of a new Transbay neighborhood that includes more than 6 million sf of new downtown office space in a high-density commercial core surrounding the new five-story Transbay Transit Center.
The San Francisco Planning Commission has granted planning permission for Oceanwide Center, consisting of two towers—a 605-foot-high building for a hotel and residences, and an 850-foot-tall office and residential building—that will be located within a 22,000-sf lot in the South of Market Street (SOMA) district. The designers are Foster + Partners and Heller Manus Architects.
Foster + Partners states that this project will include new public spaces and pedestrian connections that are designed to support increased density, which is one of the goals of the larger Transbay development. Kathryn Gustafson of the firm Gustafson Guthrie Nichol is Oceanwide Center’s landscape architect.
The ground level of the buildings will be “lifted up” by almost five stories to provide the neighborhood with an “urban room” with walking routes cutting through the site, and leading to shops, cafes, and green spaces.
“This development will be the new exemplar of urban living with exciting places to live and work right alongside the central transport hub,” sayd Stefan Behling, Foster + Partners’ Senior Executive Partner.
Beijing-based Oceanwide Holdings acquired this site in early 2015, according to the website Hoodline.com. The plans would require tearing down three buildings. The developer also intends to renovate two existing commercial buildings on First Street. Hoodline reports that Oceanwide Center will include 265 residential units, 169 hotel rooms, 12,500 sf of ground-floor retail, and 26,000 sf of privately owned public open space.
The Transbay Redevelopment Project has three interconnected elements:
- Replacing the former Transbay Terminal at First and Mission Streets
- Extending Caltrain and California High Speed Rail underground from Caltrain’s current terminal at 4th and King Streets into the new downtown Transit Center
- Creating a new neighborhood of homes, offices, parks, and shops surround the Transit Center.
The first phase will create a new five-story Transit Center with one above-grade bus level, ground-floor, concourse, and two below-grade rail levels serving Caltrain and future California High Speed Rail. Phase I will also create new bus ramp that will connect the Transit Center to a new off-site bus storage facility and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
The Transit Center is designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects (PCPA), and will feature a 5.4-acre park on the roof of the bus and rail station. A complementary transit tower designed by PCPA and developed by Hines will be built adjacent to the Transit Center and will provide additional financing for the project.
Aside from the new office space, other highlights of the Transbay redevelopment plan include:
- Nearly 4,400 units of new housing, 1,200 of which will be permanently affordable.
- Approximately 100,000 sf of new retail space, much of it in the Transbay Transit Center.
- Nearly 1,000 new hotel rooms.
- A dramatic new skyline punctuated by a limited number of taller buildings, including a 1,070-foot-tall Salesforce Tower, the tallest in San Francisco, adjacent to the Transbay Transit Center.
- Wide sidewalks with landscaping, lighting, seating, and pedestrian amenities.
- Mid-block crossings keyed to alleyway systems and other pedestrian safety improvements.
- Safe and convenient bicycle lanes.
- A total of more than 11 acres of new public parks and open space.
According to the San Francisco Planning Department, the Transit Center District Plan and the Transbay Redevelopment Plan will generate more than $2.7 billion in net additional public funding for the construction of the Transbay Program and affordable housing in the Transbay neighborhood. Together, the Plans will generate more than 25,000 construction job-years and 27,000 permanent jobs.
One of Oceanwide Center's towers, at 805 feet, will be the second tallest in San Francisco. Image: Foster + Partners
Related Stories
High-rise Construction | Sep 19, 2019
Two residential towers break ground in Chicago’s Lakeshore East
bKL Architecture designed the towers.
High-rise Construction | Sep 18, 2019
Central Park Tower tops out in New York City
The building will be the tallest residential skyscraper in the world.
AEC Innovators | Aug 27, 2019
7 AEC industry disruptors and their groundbreaking achievements
From building prefab factories in the sky to incubating the next generation of AEC tech startups, our 2019 class of AEC Innovators demonstrates that the industry is poised for a shakeup. Meet BD+C’s 2019 AEC Innovators.
Museums | Jul 29, 2019
A new museum debuts inside the Empire State Building
A $165 million, 10,000-sf museum opened on the second floor of the Empire State Building in New York City, completing the second of a four-phase “reimagining” of that building’s observatory experience, which draws four million visitors annually.
High-rise Construction | Jul 25, 2019
Could this 500 foot, Bjarke Ingels-designed observation tower rise in San Diego?
The tower would be part of the $2.4 billion Seaport San Diego project.
Building Tech | Jun 26, 2019
Modular construction can deliver projects 50% faster
Modular construction can deliver projects 20% to 50% faster than traditional methods and drastically reshape how buildings are delivered, according to a new report from McKinsey & Co.
High-rise Construction | Apr 11, 2019
Top new skyscrapers for 2019: Salesforce Tower named best worldwide
The San Francisco tower was recognized for its innovations in seismic engineering and a design that "gives back" to the community.
High-rise Construction | Apr 10, 2019
*Updated* A Tulip is ready to bloom in London
Designed by Foster + Partners, the Tulip will rise 1,001 feet and be a new cultural and tourist attraction.
High-rise Construction | Mar 4, 2019
Goettsch Partners' tallest tower ever tops out in China
The tower will become the tallest in Nanning, China upon completion.
High-rise Construction | Feb 8, 2019
Dubai’s newest supertall will be covered in digital displays
SOM designed the tower.