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San Francisco's SoMa neighbourhood — South of Market Street — is undergoing a major wave of highrise development, with many of its formerly industrial sites being repurposed for residential and office uses. At 50 First Street, two blocks southwest of Market Street, developer TMG Partners is planning to erect a pair of mixed-used towers, one of which could become the city's second tallest edifice. At 259 metres above street level, the Oceanside Center would transform the skyline of California's fourth largest city, and be located in the immediate vicinity of the already under-construction Salesforce Tower, which is currently rising to a height of 326 metres.
Designed by architecture firm Foster + Partners in collaboration with Heller Manus Architects, the Oceanside Center will include two highrises. The shorter 190-metre building will front on Mission Street and feature a new 169-room hotel at its base, topped by 156 residential units across a total of 54 floors. In addition, the tallest building will provide 125,000 squares metres of office space paired with 109 luxurious residences on the upper levels, making the tower the highest residential edifice on the west coast.
The architectural identity of the tallest mixed-used building of the complex will be defined by the exoskeleton designed to provide extra strength to the building in the event of seismic activity. While its crown appears to house a park or amenity space, the base of the Oceanside Center will offer a six-story 'urban room,' according to Foster + Partners. The 2,400-square-metre privately owned public space aims to bring an innovative green space to the area, animated by cafes, restaurants, and mid-block pedestrian lanes and plazas, as well as terraces on multiple levels. The current plans include a new grocery store in the renovated heritage building at 88 First Street.
