Swallowtail Community Prototype, San Francisco Building Project, CA Timber Structure, Californian Architecture Design Images
Swallowtail Community Prototype in San Francisco
Mar 14, 2022
Design: Atelier Cho Thompson
Location: Filbert Street, San Francisco, northern California, USA

Photos: Melissa Habegger
Swallowtail Community Prototype, SF
Atelier Cho Thompson was honored to have been selected to design the Community Prototype for the Market Street Prototyping Festival in San Francisco. Working closely with a Think Tank of community groups, we designed a pavilion to serve the neighborhood of Central Market.

Through four Idea Labs, including extensive workshops and a walking tour, the Think Tank provided invaluable, street-level knowledge about the social ecosystem of Central Market. Their comments about existing conditions, challenges, and opportunities on the sidewalks of the Central Market District were based on their intimate knowledge of the area?s physical, social and cultural landscape. Their discussions on this topic helped shape their own idea for a community based prototype entitled ?Swallowtail.?
The concept behind the Swallowtail was inspired by Western tiger swallowtail habit found along Market Street, which coexists within the hustle and bustle of Market Street. New developments on along Market Street now make an extensive effort to preserve this habitat. This installation was an allegory for how any future progress or development must similarly honor and...