Salesforce Tower
Salesforce Tower will be the tallest building in San Francisco, joining the Golden Gate Bridge and the Transamerica Building as one of the skyline?s defining elements. Pelli Clarke Pelli won an international competition in 2007 to design the tower and the Salesforce Transit Center at its base. Together, the two buildings represent a novel approach to public-private collaboration and sustainability in an urban setting.
Photography by © Tim Griffith
The competition was sponsored by the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, a public entity created by the City of San Francisco to develop the new transit centre. To help fund that building, part of the site was offered for sale to teams of developers and architects in an invited competition. Pelli Clarke Pelli and its development partner submitted a design that focuses on sustainability, neighbourhood development, and financial feasibility. Standing 326 meters (1,070 feet) tall, the tower has the simple, timeless form of the obelisk, giving the 61-story tower a slender, tapering silhouette. The walls are composed of clear glass with pearlescent metal accents. These horizontal and vertical accents gradually taper in depth to accentuate the curved glass corners. The walls rise past the top floor to form a transparent crown that appears to dissolve into the sky. Carved into the tower top is a vertical facet that will be lit at night.
Photography by © Vittoria Zupicich
At its base, Salesforce Tower connects directly ...