We weren’t planning on publishing today, but a plugged-in tipster delivers the goods for the Arquitectonica design of 1960-1998 Market at Buchanan.
1960-1998 Market Design
Never mind those EIR massings (but not the details).

And that’s how we like to roll when it comes to ushering in a long weekend. Cheers.
Movement On Up To 115 Housing Units At Market And Buchanan? [SocketSite]
The Designs And Details For 1960-1998 Market (At Buchanan) [SocketSite]

58 thoughts on “Now THAT’s The (An) Arquitectonica Design For Market At Buchanan”
  1. These drawings are nice, but so stylized, I wonder what that would look like in real life?
    and jaywalking across laser beams is dangerous 🙂

  2. wow. now that is bold design. I don’t know if it will actually look anything like that when done, but it is bold and different.
    I really like it. I’m sure others can think of better than this, but I’d be pleased as a peach if this got built!
    hooray!

  3. Wow, If only SF was as progressive as progressive architects thought we were.
    Fantastic design. Something that would look great in any city – so any tied dyed in the wool native will be ready to commit hary-kary over its approval.

  4. The devil is in the details, but that looks like a really nice start to a solid, modern building in SF. Let’s hope they do get the details right (glazing clarity, dimension between window faces and wall exterior, setback retail from residential above, etc.)…

  5. Fancy pictures, but it looks just like the mission bay stuff with slightly more prominent windows. SF is becoming lego-land on steroids.

  6. I agree with the devil in the details comments. I like the shape but it could go anywhere from really neat to drab office park to correctional facility depending on what happens next.

  7. That is quite an ugly corner now, so this is an improvement. Dumpy recycling center across Buchanan is conveniently cropped out of these drawings!
    A question for the architects — will clear glass really work here? Won’t the clean look be ruined when the windows are filled with curtains, blinds, and whatever else residents may wish to display?
    (And I still say the bicyclists are going to be furious at all the new traffic turning right off market onto Buchanan).

  8. Those are skinny a$$ windows, but then again, probably not much to view from there anyway.
    it’s only going to look that good if everyone decides to turn on their lights every night
    my prediction…lots of metal, lots of glass, and your same-ol gray building low-rise in SF

  9. Great rendering porn but quite [unrealistic]. How often have you seen such beautiful clouds reflected in glass in real life? Not even mirror glass catches them… A little more articulation (even a cutout) along Market St. would help. One advantage of the cutout is it would provide a glimpse of the pretty cool mural above the gas station. It is a cool mural and funky and zany is what I like about SF in general, and this neighborhood in particular. Before I get flamed, I am not against this project. I am just expecting even better from Arquitectonica.

  10. Wow,
    Look at all of the ugly stucco boxes that are cheap to build and UGLY, Beacon in Mission Bay is a good example. Finally someone wants to spend money to build a cool building and do interesting design.
    This is GREAT.
    Thanks for willing to go through the chaotic SF developement process

  11. Bold design. Really will enliven that whole corner. The interlocking floors set back from the corner makes for a really interesting design. Almost looks as if the building is moving. Market Street could use a little pizzazz.

  12. Why do you expect extra bicycle traffic Trip? I am not really that thrilled with this building, but it is a *huge* improvement over a gas station. And it is much better than most of the bland pastel stucco with bay windows that gets built here.

  13. Bicycle riders will love this. No more cars going in and out of the existing gas station. This building is definitely eye-catching. Love it or not.

  14. Sorry, I didn’t mean there would be more bicycle traffic. I was referring to the added car traffic turning right off Market into the garage on Buchanan. But waco kid makes a good point — you’ll lose the cars entering and exiting the current gas station. So maybe the net result will not be that material, or even an improvement.

  15. Does look a little less residential than I would like, but is an incredible improvement over most of the design we see in San Francisco. Sexy building and much needed improvement over a gas station. Why can’t we see more design like this in our City.

  16. Pretty good, though I think it won’t be quite as detailed and contrasty in daylight. The repeated triangular intersections of the stacked blocks relate to the streetcorner pretty well. The ground floor retail might have a hard time if they aren’t allowed major signage.
    (lolcat_94123 — you can tell this isn’t a mission bay building due to the use of non-90 degree angles. If it had a curve, it would be completely outside of San Francisco)
    And I hate to say this, but did the Market St perspective make anyone else think of mis-stacked shipping containers? That’s not a knock, this building looks significantly more interesting than anything else recently proposed or built in mid-town.

  17. A request to the editors– include a google maps link to the address, so we can look around in Street View.

  18. Another case of great design which is basically impractical in its current form/location. Seriously – an all-glass building that’s only 4 stories tall, and right on Market? So much for playing Xbox in your drawers with the window wide open. Great for exhibitionists, I suppose. Although I do hope it gets built, as it’s completely unlike anything else in that area right now.

  19. Why would you question the builder’s commitment to following through with the details at this point? Judge the renderings, yes they’re awesome. The owner hired Arquitectonica and world class design probably costs more than local hack design. I haven’t seen too many negative comments on the details at The Infinity, which is probably the only local basis for judgment. So let’s applaud the project and hope it gets through planning. Not that there’s anything wrong with a stucco box, but there may be other possibilities.

  20. Try eight stories LegacyDude, but don’t let your inability to count get in the way of your negativity.

  21. The first picture of the market and buchanan corner is a daylight shot. I like it better that the night shot of market street. the coloring really blends in well with the existing buildings. The architecture is obviously agressivley modern but it really works here.

  22. Great concept but by the time it gets through planning and the neighbors review it will end up being another boring box with stucco and bay windows. This city is so hopeless when it comes to design by committee.

  23. WOW. Different than anything I’ve seen proposed lately. Very cool. Lots of ineresting angles and geometry to accentuate the uber modern design. A real winner. Will it ever get built? There’s been talk about this site for a long time, looks they also missed the market financially.

  24. Thanks, onetwothreefour, guess I wasn’t looking at the rendering closely enough. And I’m not being negative, as I’m in support of just about any new construction in this city (even stucco boxes).
    But I’m realistic; it’s an aquarium on one of the city’s busier blocks.

  25. Two thumbs up! This is a cool, edgy design for stogy SF (like…where’s the bay windows dude?). Let’s hope it gets built.

  26. I am not as much a modernist fanatic as some on this board but, if executed properly, I think this would work well. This stretch of Market St. is such a mishap of styles (few of which of much aesthetic, architectural or historic merit) that I think this could be slipped in without anyone being too offended.

  27. This is a better rendering than the one posted on March 11. While it’s still a glass building at least it doesn’t look like it was transplanted from Sacto. I love the warm glow at night. Reminds me of the way many old European buildings are lit up at night…. except this is new and interesting. I give it two thumbs up. I hope it ages well.

  28. Awesome design
    It almost looks like a building after an earthquake hit and all the floors just shook back and forth and then got stuck. Very cool. Its such a departure from what is normally proposed on almost every new SF development.

  29. I dont get it. It is somewhat boring. Build me something like that on the northwest corner of noe / 16th and market. That spanish building is beautiful. This looks like a big box store. Hopefully I am pleasantly surprised when it is built.

  30. They look like new fangled prison cells stacked on top of each other to me. I wish they’d put up something that fits in more with the Spanish Mission style architecture across market. Just doesn’t seem right for the area.

  31. The new Institute on Aging center on Geary near USF that is being built is a great example of Spanish style architecture that I would love to see more of in SF.

  32. I am wondering what will happen when it is submitted to the Planning Commission, where one of the Commissioners, whose support maybe critical, he is not a big fan of glass. I think he has a point. Glass is okay but there are more interesting materials. How would you like the de Young in Golden Gate Park clad in glass?

  33. sf
    the institute on aging building on geary? are you serious? you must be kidding? you are clearly a true visionary.

  34. sf
    just looked at the ioa building on geary. i agree it is an attractive building and kind of looks like santa barbra. i would also say that its extremeley conservative and non-original. been done over and over. having said that the proposed building on market street is much more exciting visually and will truly enliven that corner. why can’t we have both styles in sf? why are some people admantly against any kind of change from the same old style?

  35. Wow. I love it. What a unique building. Having lived in S.F. all my life I think it is about time for some modern architecture along Market Street. I take the Muni or ride my bike down Market street almost everyday to my office downtown and would love to pass this building. Hopefully it will look as good as these renderings. I have heard that something has been going up here for years, we will see if it ever happens. Everything in S.F. moves at such a snails pace. Wonder what the price range will be , would love to live on that corner.

  36. Finally something other than cheap stucco. Lived in Hayes valley forever and really glad this is such a cool building. Cannot believe that anyone would build a building that is this expensive to build in SF. Seems everyone is focused on cheap…
    Good luck and hope to see you all under construction, No more gas station, Awesome
    Jimmy

  37. i look at this building and I think the planning commissioneers will like it. it is modern in its design but definitley has a lot of movement and articulation which you don’t see in a lot of modern glass structures. not a smooth curtain wall approach.

  38. Well the NIMBY’s have started the opposition to this. On the District 5 Blog, they are saying it doesn’t fit with the neighborhood, it blocks the views of the Mint and is too dense. Just what we have come to expect in this city.
    [Editor’s Note: The District 5 Diary post: Planned Market/Buchanan monstrosity.]

  39. You’re right its now on Curbed with quotes from Rob Anderson of all people. Looks like we’re heading towards the stucco, bays and blagh once again. What a joke. When will the City stand up to these bullies.

  40. This project is doomed. This entire corridor is going to be a joke. Same illogical complaints. That apartment building behind this on Buchanan is at least at tall as this proposal, and it’s been around since early 20th century. Although, if they keep this design and provide a little more variation in height, perhaps something that steps down at the ends, it might still look all right. But the buzz word of “context” and “views” always gives us something like the mutant one eyed hunch back cone head inbred child that you just want to put out of its misery by exploding it with dynamite.

  41. My prediction is that this will sail through planning and sf and jimmy will, once again, be proven wrong with their endless negativity.
    If you really want to make a difference, show up to the planning meeting or at least write them an email and give them your support.

  42. “But the buzz word of “context” and “views””
    They don’t care about view rights at DBI. If protecting views is the objective, the dissenters will have to couch their buzzwords in language that translates to DBI agenda, such as “light + air.”

  43. The design is striking and complimentary to the Center at Octavia. Although it is a bit cold for residential(not a fan of the renderings) and while I may agree with comments that it’s SOMA-like, we have to remember that the only “new” architecture that has been allowed by the “system” in SF has been the projects in SOMA so our eye gets preconditioned to think it’s the only area appropriate for innovative design. As a nearby (Noe) resident who shops at Safeway, my only concern is that there is adequate parking for the residents who will live here. It’s hard enough shopping in our neighborhoods without having the on-street parking taken over by taking on our share of the new housing that every neighborhood needs to accept. SF needs to support neighborhood businesses by allowing for resident parking!

  44. SF needs to support neighborhood businesses by allowing for resident parking!
    This comment makes no sense. We need to have more resident parking to support neighborhood businesses? How does the logic work on that? Wouldn’t having more resident parking either have no effect on neighborhood businesses (if the people still walk to those businesses) or have a negative effect (if people drive their cars outside the neighborhood or city)? I’m confused as to how it would have a definite positive effect.

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