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A new 45-storey office tower fully occupied by Facebook has been completed across from the Transbay Transit Center in San Francisco. The 803,700-square-foot Park Tower at Transbay rises 184 metres above Howard and Beale streets, boasting a contemporary design that integrates three different floor plates.
Designed by Goettsch Partners for developers The John Buck Company, Golub & Company and MetLife, the tower incorporates sizable outdoor terraces carved into the massing, creating a distinct silhouette on the skyline.
"The terraces are a defining element of the project, both in terms of what they contribute to the interior functions and also to distinguish the building in the downtown context," said James Goettsch, FAIA, chairman and co-CEO at Goettsch Partners, and the design lead on the project. "They are specifically site-oriented throughout the tower to provide exceptional views of the bay and Salesforce Park, offering clear connections to the city."
Floor-to-ceiling glass windows comprise the skin of the project, which is also articulated with vertical glass fins paying deference to the location of the terraces. The building's scale is broken down at the podium level by implementing a fritted pattern of single-floor fins.
"The materiality and scale of the facade changes with each of the distinct floor plate areas, yet they work in concert with each other," said Scott Seyer, AIA, LEED AP, principal and senior project designer at Goettsch Partners. "The design intent is to create a timeless aesthetic that serves as a positive addition to both the Transbay area as well as the city skyline."
The base of the building also features a privately owned public space in the form of a sheltered 3,600-square-foot outdoor plaza with 35-foot-high ceilings. Abutting the main lobby and adjunct retail space, the plaza is adorned with a site-specific art installation entitled "Night Writing" by artist Teresita Fernandez.
Facebook will occupy the full 755,900 square feet of available office space in the building, making the deal the largest single lease in San Francisco history. The LEED Gold Park Tower at Transbay is Goettsch Partners first completed project in San Francisco.
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