From the 16 proposals for reusing the former Commissary and current Sports Basement building at Crissy Field as a cultural facility, three finalists have been selected.
In addition to George Lucas’ proposed Cultural Arts Museum, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy’s proposal for The Presidio Exchange and the Chora Group/WRNS proposal for the Bridge/Sustainability Institute made the Presidio Trust’s cut.
The finalists will present to the public on June 17 with the winning concept expected to be announced later this year or early in 2014.
∙ Sixteen Proposals For Presidio Site Including A Lucas Arts Museum [SocketSite]
∙ George Lucas’ Cultural Arts Museum Proposal And Personal Thoughts [SocketSite]
Great news, but I wish Lucas had considered the now empty Palace of Fine Arts. They need a new tenant and this would have been a wonderful fit.
It seems pretty clear Lucas is going to win. By far the best option, I mean… “Bridge/Sustainability Institute”?
It’s as if the “contenders” are just fillers so as to make a “competition.” All the best though, Lucas is a great asset to the Presidio, city.
Where has all the spandex gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the sports drinks gone?
Long time passing
Where will all the type-A’s go?
Spouses picked them, every one.
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the consultants gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the consultants gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the occasionally hanging out in Tahoe feeling like fresh bros and bro-ettes in outdoor swag, young money, yuppie money, funneling funds off to international makers of technical outdoor gear deployed in urban settings, stitched by young girls’ hands outside of Harbin in an awful factory gone?
Long time ago.
I prefer sports basement
I encourage everyone to actually review the three proposals at hand before making their judgement of which project is best both for the city, and for its critically important site at the Presidio.
The Presidio is unique in that it is a working, urban park, combining commercial activities with areas of awe-inspiring beauty. Among its many buildings it lacks any which could be considered its center, the place one would think of if, for instance, if one were meeting someone from out of town to go for a run or a bike ride. The “front porch” of the Presidio (and by extension the city) concept advanced by the PX proposal supplies this missing element, and is the sole viable project that is intended to be used repeated by both the community and outside visitors.
San Francisco seems to harbor an inherent indifference or even hostility to monuments to ego (the Fisher Museum), which is perhaps justifiable (the current Eliason Cup fiasco in which he is reportedly paying his competitors for their boat designs if not for them to show up and which has failed to garner support even from his presumed yachting class friends). The Coit Tower is perhaps one exception, but even with it, does anyone from San Francisco visit it more than once? And does not it’s beauty and the sense that it is a part of the city rather than a product of it’s donor not stem from it’s integration into and appropriateness to the landscape?
While both the Lucas and the sustainability institute projects have merit, both would arguably be better located in different locations. Alice Walton’s museum (which has a similar collection to Lucas) is quite successful in its Arkansas location. I predict that Lucas will work the media in every way possible to construct a logic for it being a Presidio-defining project (much as the warrior arena supporters are attempting to spin their own appropriateness to their waterfront location), but hopefully those tasked with making the decision will see through the hype and allow good, sound planning to prevail.
On the whole, I like the Lucas proposal, simply because it’s pretty clear what it’s about. The other two are buzzword-filled, self-congratulatory exercises, seemingly trying to be all things to all people. Apparently, the result would be green and sensitive and sustainable and educational and high-tech, and perfectly vague.
From the Bridge/Sustainability pdf:
“the Bridge metaphorically references the iconic Bay Bridge that shadows the Presidio.” (what)
“the Bridge will look forward into the future, dynamically engaging visitors in the critical social, economic, and environmental issues of our time from climate change, to water, energy, and food.”
Regardless of what’s chosen, I hope it does a good job in screening Doyle Drive from Chrissy Field and Mason St. The sight of that 35 foot tall concrete wall, lit up by freeway lights, is seriously jarring–worse than the elevated structure it replaced.
because art collections need a view, a view at least a mile from the nearest public transportation
Pretty sure no one “needs” a view.
UPDATE: The Three Competing Designs For The Presidio’s Commissary Site.