A view of San Francisco from the 59th Floor of One Rincon Hill
You can argue the architecture all you want (over here), but it’s hard to argue with the views (from the 59th Floor of One Rincon Hill tower one). And no, we weren’t kidding about the time capsule (which was blessed today and will be retrieved in 50 years).
Looking East from the 59th floor of One Rincon Hill (www.SocketSite.com)
And speaking of underutilized surface parking lots (and at least one new development):
San Francisco parking lots (and at least one new development) from the 59th floor of One Rincon Hill (www.SocketSite.com)
One Rincon Hill: Another Fontana Or Transamerica In The Making? [SocketSite]
One Rincon Hill “Rumors”: Construction, Closings and Time Capsule [SocketSite]
More ‘Manhattanization’ Of San Francisco: Paying More For Parking [SocketSite]

51 thoughts on “A Few Picture Postcard Views From The 59th Floor Of One Rincon Hill”
  1. Given the size, height, and depth of San Francisco’s city and surrounding landscape, the best views from locations around ORH’s are actually captured from 35th floor to 45th floor levels. There’s a point where you are simply too high up and the “view” starts to look like a map. It’s a simple matter of perspective.
    I remember also looking at several units at 170 Off Third facing the ballpark, it’s interesting the best view is actually from the mid-level of the building rather than top floor.

  2. Oops – meant third photo? Just kidding – those views are spectacular. i think its all personal opinion once you get above 30 or so, as all the vies are excellent. The view looking from the top floors looks over the city to Marin!!

  3. Nice views but too high for me. I think I will pull out my camp dvd classic “Towering Inferno”. The story of a too tall tower built in San Francisco that turned into ……… well I won’t give it away. Question, the views are spectacular, but what happens after an earthquake? If power is down for days who could possibly walk up all of those stairs? I would love to come up there for a party, but I’ll be happy to return to my home which is built on bedrock and only 3 feet above the sidewalk.

  4. I’m sure that ORH has a backup generator for the elevators and other life safety stuff. And the building is built on bedrock. With the damper on top it is probably one of the safest places in the city.

  5. “I’m sure that ORH has a backup generator for the elevators and other life safety stuff. And the building is built on bedrock. With the damper on top it is probably one of the safest places in the city.”
    Are you sure about that?? If there’s a large quake, I doubt it’ll be safe to use any elevator, especially one in a tall highrise.
    Also, the building is located in one of the windiest places in SF. Even if it’s safe, the building can sway up to 20 inches back and forth during those windy Pacific storms that blow in during the winter. Winds over the Bay Bridge towers have been clocked over 75 MPH. Not a comforting feeling if you get motion sickness…

  6. Are there balconies for units that are up even at this level? One could literally be “blown away” if you were to go out to take in the air on a windy day. Speaking of swaying buildings, they have the same problem in the towers in downtown Los Angeles, and I was amazed at how much the hanging light fixtures would sway back and forth in the B. of A. building dining room. You really thought you were eating on a cruise ship instead of in a building.

  7. As a primary residence, it’s not my idea of “home sweet home” if my 2 million dollar “home” shakes, rattle and rolls all the time.
    Is it me or is that just a silly way to live?

  8. The building in the third photo on the corner of Folsom and Main houses an indie record label (Fat Wreck Chords), among some other small businesses.

  9. When I see this building, I, too, think of the movie “The Towering Inferno”. Early in the movie, there is a scene showing the skyline of San Francisco, with one especially tall building, the one that eventually catches fire. I think of this movie every time I see One Rincon Hill.

  10. OK towering inferno fans, can you name any highrise not in hollywood land that has ever burned down? Lets be real here. There are plenty of taller buildings in Chicago, “the windy city”, and i don’t think the big bad wolf has blown any of them over. Oh, and if the “big one” hits San Fran, I’d rather be in Rincon or any of the new highrises over most of the buildings in the city. I’m not sure if ORH is Tsunami proof, but it is on top of a hill, so let’s just hope it survives that. Now if only they could put up a special barrier to make it asteroid proof, then maybe I may consider living there.

  11. anon 9:18
    exactly! you would think from reading some of these posts that we have never seen a building this tall… In the US alone there are over 150 buildings taller than this and more being built every day.

  12. Great Views, but it’s a baby building!!
    Rumor has it the beauty contest for the TransBay Terminal Tower (the “Term”) has at least one proposal for a 1,500 foot tower, part office, part hotel, part residential, in addition to the Terminal itself.
    Presentations will be given at the August 6th, Special TJPA Board Meeting, at City Hall, 6:00 to 9:00 PM, (in order) by the following teams:
    * Richard Rogers Partnership and Forest City Enterprises with MacFarlane Partners
    * Skidmore Owings and Merrill and Rockefeller Group Development Corporation
    * Pelli Clark Pelli Architects and Hines
    If you really want a view of what is going on in the Bay Area, reserve one of those Penthouses and your view will be 900 feet higher than the Penthouse at 1 Rincon Hill.
    And that view may be blocked, by Renzo Piano’s (the “Renz”) across the street from the Transbay Terminal .
    Don’t forget to attend the TransBay unveiling on August 6th, it promises to be a sell out!!
    Frederick

  13. I also read somewhere about these 75mph winds whipping thru 1Rincon on a regular basis. It must be terrifying to sleep thru one of those wind storms that seem to hit the bay area a few times each winter.
    Damper or no damper, the building will sway, up to 1-2 feet in each direction. And I doubt any whisper quiet window can muffle the shuttering and buffering noise those winds can create on the curtain wall.

  14. I cannot think of another city that would make such a big deal about a 60 story building or a new bus/train station. I would bet my vacation home in Palm Desert that there will be no 1,500 ft. tower next to the new bus/train station. And where exactly is the money coming from for this tower? In this market? With the inventory we are about to see in Soma?
    Now, I would want to attend a meeting where we could celebrate our cleaning of the city streets, fixing Muni, and/or solving the Homeless crisis.
    That would be a big deal.

  15. anoldtimer,
    I bet Omaha would make a big deal about a tower this big. And Modesto. And Stockton. And Portland. And Spokane. And Salt Lake City. And Phoenix. And Kansas City. And St. Louis. And many, many others. Just because there are a handful of cities that have taller buildings doesn’t mean that the tower is “no big deal”. It’s the first really tall residential building in San Francisco…ever. Doesn’t that make it somewhat of a big deal?
    Now, if two or three years from now when there are several others just as tall and we’re still talking about the next one or this one – that would be weird.

  16. Chicago, the “windy city,” received that nickname due to its blusterous politicians, not actual winds. So, in a weird way, there have been buildings in Chicago (probably hundreds over the years) that have been “blown down” in the windy city – when the politicians wanted to move forward with putting up new buildings in the city…

  17. anonoldtimer,
    It’s a big deal because there are so many aspects of the building that are so controversial to so many people.
    From the unsightly, office building like architecture, to it’s prominent freeway hugging location, to it’s no deeded parking, ventless dryer, whisper quiet window claims, 6th floor lobby, etc. I could go on and on…. It just seem 1Rincon attracts controversy. Maybe it’s a cursed building?
    The Millenium Tower going up on 1st and Fremont is also a 60 story residential tower and yet doesn’t garner the same amount of negative attention as 1Rincon. Infinity, while much shorter also doesn’t have as many controversial aspects attached to it.

  18. “From the unsightly, office building like architecture, to it’s prominent freeway hugging location, to it’s no deeded parking, ventless dryer, whisper quiet window claims, 6th floor lobby, etc. I could go on and on…. It just seem 1Rincon attracts controversy. Maybe it’s a cursed building?”
    This summary not only made me laugh, but made me think that One Rincon would be the perfect building to do an article on about 5 years from now about the “Condo Frenzy” that swept through urban America between 2000 and 2006.
    I must say though, the views are spectacular. Does anyone know who bought the penthouse unit(s)?

  19. Anon, who said “OK towering inferno fans, can you name any highrise not in hollywood land that has ever burned down?”. I can think of two off the top of my head. Is that a big enough hint?
    Unscreened balconies are a nice idea, but they’re definitely not for everyone. I lived at the Golden Gateway apartment buildings on the fifteenth floor for three months. We had a large balcony that faced North. The view was magnificent, and my wife absolutely hated the balcony because she was frightened by the height. Even I got weird quivers when I walked near the edge.
    The elevator issue is also legitimate. You can bet that even in a newer building, you will sometimes lose the service of one elevator. I’ve lived on the 26th floor before, and it’s no fun. With no power in a tall building you also lose water service as well, so walking up 43 flights of stairs might not be your only concern.

  20. I don’t think that this building will be a symbol of a short-term condo frenzy. I actually think that in US cities (SF included), we are seeing a fundamental shift in the way that people are choosing to live. Its probably a combination of rising fuel costs, gentrifying downtown areas, aging baby-boomers, rising numbers of immigrants from countries more accustomed to high-rise living, a desire to live in an area with more walkable amenities than in suburbia and several other reasons. If we look at Vancouver, it is one of the cities with our friends to the north where condo-mania started and it certainly did not let up after a few years.
    I want to clarify a few other points. Sure, Rincon Hill is windy, but quite honestly, all hilltop locations in SF are. I was recently atop Twin Peaks and found it much more windy than One Rincon Hill and much colder/foggier (given the fact its closer to the ocean). The same can be said for Pacific Heights, which is often extremely windy. That is part of living in San Francisco, with the exception of being in lower-wind sheltered locations.
    Another reason why I think this is more controversial than other new buildings in the city is because of its prominent location. Millenium will be taller than One Rincon, but will barely stick above the existing buildings of the neighborhood. The same can be said for Infinity. I think it wouldn’t matter what One Rincon looked like, but it would strike controversy. It could be the most aesthetically pleasing building in the world and people would complain that its “ruining their views”, when in fact its mainly adding a slender addition to the skyline. It may look out of place right now as no other high rises exist within a few blocks, but wait until the 2nd tower comes up, along with 45 Lansing, The Californian, 340 Fremont, etc. It’ll blend in more at that time. I disagree with those that say the 60th floor was too high and is reminiscent of The Towering Inferno. I might say that if we were talking about a tower the size of The Burj Dubai, but honestly, I’ve seen the view from towers at the 40th floor (Marriott View Lounge) and still felt that while very nice, being 20-30 floor higher would still provide some additional advantages. Of course, I’m sure that views on the 20th-40th floors will still be great as well at One Rincon.

  21. “I must say though, the views are spectacular. Does anyone know who bought the penthouse unit(s)?”
    anon94123,
    There’s nothing special about ORH’s “penthouses” in my opinion. Each of the four with quite ordinary floorplans has a corner and an extra room, that’s it. They are not terribly pricy either.
    It’s worth noting that one of the $7mil penthouses at the Infinity was bought by a regional CEO of Chase Manhattan. Both Jeffrey Heller and Clark Manus also bought units at the Infinity themselves. It’s always a good sign when the architects invest in buying what they produce, especially when they don’t have a habit of doing so.
    Not as clear about ORH buyers’ demographics, but I would think it’d be somewhat close to the Infinity, where so far about 50% buyers are empty-nesters and small families. (Many buyers come from your zip code as well.) A little more than 25% are from oversea mainly Asian countries, China, Korea, etc. The rest are little of this, little of that.

  22. Thanks. I had no idea. I am suprised ORH did not do anything more interesting on top. I agree with your thoughts about Infinity also. I am happy in my home right now, but if I wanted to move to a new building, Infinity is the only project that fills my list of requirements. (Location & Parking both are critical, followed by floorplans and architecture). I also think Infinity will be the best investment because not only is the location a place you don’t have to wait 15 years to “fill in”, but you get parking (!), which is becoming like “gold” in this city.

  23. What boggles me about OneRincon is even the penthouse owners don’t get a deeded parking space.
    SomaGrand gives deeded parking to some of the 2 bedroom and larger units and definitely their penthouse units, and the rest gets valet parking only. If I was a penthouse owner at OneRincon or even an owner of one of the larger 2 bedroom units, I would feel ripped off by not getting a deeded space…
    And yes, a parking space at one of the new developments is like gold now and Infinity did the right thing by giving EACH owner a deeded space.

  24. “I want to clarify a few other points. Sure, Rincon Hill is windy, but quite honestly, all hilltop locations in SF are. I was recently atop Twin Peaks and found it much more windy than One Rincon Hill and much colder/foggier (given the fact its closer to the ocean).”
    SFhighrise, Rincon Hill itself is not terribly windy, but hundreds of feet up will be. The Chronicle reported once that the crane operator regularly experiences hurricane force winds. I would imagine the units near the top will experience the same.

  25. “There’s nothing special about ORH’s “penthouses” in my opinion. Each of the four with quite ordinary floorplans has a corner and an extra room, that’s it. They are not terribly pricy either.”
    I would disagree. I think the penthouse units at One Rincon have very nice floor plans with mutliple balconies and corner rooms with all glass. A couple have very large terraces.
    I actually think the Infinity penthouses were nothing special with some having weird rooms.
    At the end of the day though, no one can argue it either way since it’s so subjective.

  26. “I would disagree. I think the penthouse units at One Rincon have very nice floor plans with mutliple balconies and corner rooms with all glass. A couple have very large terraces.
    I actually think the Infinity penthouses were nothing special with some having weird rooms.
    At the end of the day though, no one can argue it either way since it’s so subjective.”
    Agreed it’s all subjective. The market will determine which is valued higher.
    I do know the two top floor penthouses at Infinity went into contract for 7 million and 5+ million respectively (around $2000/sqft). And if I’m not mistaken, the penthouses at OneRincon went into contract around 2 to 3 million even though it’s 20 stories higher.

  27. “The market will determine which is valued higher.
    I do know the two top floor penthouses at Infinity went into contract for 7 million and 5+ million respectively (around $2000/sqft). And if I’m not mistaken, the penthouses at OneRincon went into contract around 2 to 3 million even though it’s 20 stories higher.”
    Before we start comparing the prices of the penthouses at Infinity and ORH, shouldn’t we at least first determine the square footage of the units we’re comparing?

  28. “The market will determine which is valued higher.
    I do know the two top floor penthouses at Infinity went into contract for 7 million and 5+ million respectively (around $2000/sqft). And if I’m not mistaken, the penthouses at OneRincon went into contract around 2 to 3 million even though it’s 20 stories higher.”
    Before we start comparing the prices of the penthouses at Infinity and ORH, shouldn’t we at least first determine the square footage of the units we’re comparing?”
    Infinity’s penthouse are 3300sqft. So the top floor unit is under contract at 7 million ($2100/sqft). The second penthouse sold for over 5 million so around $1600/sqft.
    I don’t know the square footage of OneRincon. Judging from the floorplans, I estimate ~2200sqft, but I’m not an appraiser or architect.
    Anyone know?

  29. The larger units at ORH are between 1900-2000sqft but they are on floors 53 and below. Starting from floor 54 and up the units are around 1600sqft.

  30. Looking at the website, the penthouses are located on the 55-60th floor, unit 03. To me, it looks much bigger than just 1600sqft. The 3 bedrooms are quite large and the great room itself is over 450 sqft. Add the kitchen, closet spaces, baths, hallways, etc I don’t see how this is only 1600sqft. I put it at around 2000sqft.
    http://onerinconhill.com/

  31. Well, I’m quoting real data–something not common on this site–and the unit you are talking about is 1677sqft. I am quoting from the condominium plan.

  32. “Why are the top floor penthouses so small at OneRincon?”
    That’s a good question. They have larger units (2000sqft) but the highest one is on the 53rd floor. Not sure why they did not make a couple larger penthouses that would divide the top portion of the tower into two units instead of 4.
    I wouldn’t make any inference that the size of the penthouses means the building was meant for renters. That logic is ridiculous.

  33. Re: Views from very high floors.
    For about 18 months I lived on 88 at The Hancock Center in Chicago. The statement made in the first comment about how the views from very high floors resemble looking a map is correct.
    While living in The Hancock, I spent a lot of time on 47 & 60 and can say without hesitation the visual interests of human activity and nearby buildings make views from those floors more captivating (especially at night) than “the cars look like ants” views you get at say 70 and above.
    One other note… Residents considering doing a lot of entertaining on ORH’s upper floors had better be prepared for one of the odder realities of very high floor living: Holding conversations with the backside of mesmerized guests who stand facing the windows and speak with you from their trance.. sometimes for hours! I found the phenomenon hilarious, but it drove many of my neighbors absolutely crazy.

  34. I have to agree with sonofsoma. I have lived both on a high floor (36), and a lower floor (12), and I prefer the lower floor view. I still can see clouds, weather, sunsets, etc. but I can also see what is going on at street level which is far more interesting. Having lived in Chicago myself, I know of many people there who are long time high rise dwellers who prefer lower floors.
    Btw Sonofsoma, did you use the Hancock pool? I hear that is a strange experience swimming about 60 (?) floors above the city.

  35. “I would disagree. I think the penthouse units at One Rincon have very nice floor plans with mutliple balconies and corner rooms with all glass. A couple have very large terraces.
    I actually think the Infinity penthouses were nothing special with some having weird rooms.
    At the end of the day though, no one can argue it either way since it’s so subjective.”
    Before talking about whether 1Rincon is successful in response to the view and location, I want to clear that I too think 1Rincon’s penthouses have ‘nice’ floor plans. But being ‘nice’ is not enough to qualify them as being special or unique above a personal level. What I mean by that is if you tried a floor plan comparison by changing the presentation style of 1Rincon’s floor plans, meaning adjusting the line weights, altering the beige/blue color scheme, getting rid of the logo, and then toss these plans into, say, a bunch of Beacon’s floor plans. The audience will never notice or suspect the difference.
    The ordinary nature in the floor plans and other design outcomes of a project such as 1Rincon is the product of an assembly-line like design process, which unfolded here while working from outside-in, rather than inside-out. The potential of the building’s design outcome was weakened and limited from the beginning when the designed team chose to first arrive at the skin level of the building and then follow along by cutting and assembling the volume into little pieces according to the program. I feel that 1Rincon’s architects were simply too dictated by the intention of creating this monumental shell and gave up lots of opportunities for more creative solutions. And what happens when a design team becomes desperate with a conventional and unremarkable outcome? They start adding ridiculous ornamentations such as these long coconut-white columns. This used to be a commonly seen problem.
    From what I’ve gathered, on top of the layout and circulation of floor plans, there are 2 important things that top dollar condo buyers often look for when searching for that ‘uniqueness’:
    1. Large terraces, especially for view units: other than the south corner, all of the Infinity’s penthouse units have 40’ long terraces. The bi-level units have 2 of them. Having that opportunity of PHYSICALLY ENGAGING the VIEW will set a unit apart from the rest. I believe this is one of the reasons why many buyers are paying premium prices at the Radiance right now.
    2. The grand window view frames: this is what this thread is all about. Both projects’ penthouses are blessed with opportunities of having some great views. But the Infinity took it a step further by creating this ribbon-like continuous bay of windows and dissolving the entire living space right into the view frame. And I think buyers will really fall in love with that signature touch once the building is complete and shows the real deal.
    Which project’s floor plans work better is more of a personal preference. But in terms of uniqueness and the success of design, the Infinity wins hands down as a residential architecture masterpiece. And in terms of capturing and actually highlighting the views, Bernardo Fort-Brescia and his team really did one hell of job for the Infinity.

  36. “Infinity’s penthouse are 3300sqft. So the top floor unit is under contract at 7 million ($2100/sqft). The second penthouse sold for over 5 million so around $1600/sqft.”
    Frankly, I think they actually underpriced these two penthouse units in the first tower seeing how fast they were sold at asking. I was told that the developer is planning to price the 2nd tower’s penthouses of this floor plan close to $10mil. In addition to the location advantage, these units will have unobstructed views of both downtown and the SIDE ELEVATION VIEW of the entire bay bridge, rather than from the end point of the bridge where 1Rincon is. There really is no comparison. The 2-3mil difference is well worth it for people with money who are looking for something truly magnificent. We shall soon see where exactly they price them from. Rest for sure it will set a record in this city as there is already a waiting list for these penthouses.

  37. blahh..do you work for the Infinity? If you don’t you should apply to their marketing team. The stuff you come up with is great.

  38. First of all, if they wanted OneRincon to become a truly world-class residential building, then the designers (along with the developer) would have spend a little more effort (and $$) with the exterior shape and skin. To see what is developing on top of Rincon Hill is not only very UNORIGINAL, but looks cheesy, cheap, too much like a Silicon Valley office complex.
    Infinity at least had the common sense and awareness to bring in an A+ design firm like Arquitectonica to improve the shape and skin when the original designs fell short of expectations.
    Secondly, I agree with Blahh. While the floorplans at OneRincon are nice and functional, they are far from unique or inspiring. They look more like the cookie-cutter floorplans we see all around the city. Nice and functional is all you can say about them.
    Also, at 1600sqft, I wouldn’t call those penthouses. OneRincon could have done much better than putting 1600sqft apartments on the top floor and call them penthouses. At 3400sqft and taking up half the top floor of Infinity, now that’s what I call a world-class penthouse! Even new yorkers would be impressed…

  39. Agreed with above ^^^
    We should no longer employ any design firms from Chicago for anything in SF. Also, One Rincon does look exactly like all of the 60 story office buildings in Sili Valley…

  40. “blahh..do you work for the Infinity? If you don’t you should apply to their marketing team. The stuff you come up with is great.”
    I don’t. And that leaves me the freedom to make any comment I want as how I understand about the Infinity (and others) as a project. Feel free to provide a valid opposing view if you have one.

  41. Editor’s Note: If you want to push our buttons, reduce every thread to “Infinity versus One Rincon” (or commentary on the architecture of One Rincon). And if you really want to push our buttons, use multiple names and carry on a conversation with yourself. Yes, we’re cleaning up (and taking back) the comments.

  42. Socketsite,
    In your heavy-handed efforts to control people’s views, opinions, and comments on your site, you’ve mistakenly deleted my posting which had NOTHING to do with Infinity vs Rincon.
    I am not a “multiple name” user. How do you differentiate which comments to keep and which to toss? I still see negative rants and Infinity comments and yet they stay. Other innocent posting like mine are thrown out.
    Where’s the justice?
    p.s. I don’t think these postings are from the same person. Too many varying styles in writing, punctuation, and vocabulary.
    [Editor’s Note: We have never edited (or controlled) “people’s views [or] opinions.” There are times that we have moved (or removed) comments that are repetitive, offensive, off topic or fail to add any value to the conversation. Yes, it’s subjective. And yes, there are times that we’ll make mistakes (so please accept our apologies if your particular comment got caught in the crossfire). And as always, thank you for plugging in.]

  43. I have a question. Rincon Hill has is zoned so that each tower being built has to be at least 110′ feet away from corner to corner. Since the Infinity is round were they able to actually move the two towers closer together?

  44. “[This comment has been moved in its entirety to: The Great One Rincon Hill/Infinity Smackdown.]”
    Socketsite…why did you only move the last few comments? The Infinity/ORH smackdown started way earlier in this thread and it’s always started by the same culprits.

  45. “I have a question. Rincon Hill has is zoned so that each tower being built has to be at least 110′ feet away from corner to corner. Since the Infinity is round were they able to actually move the two towers closer together?”
    A little. The two towers will be 90 feet apart when finished.

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