Goettsch Partners Completes Park Tower at Transbay in San Francisco

GP announces the completion of Park Tower at Transbay, a new 45-story office building in San Francisco developed by The John Buck Company, Golub & Company and MetLife. Located at the corner of Howard and Beale streets in the city’s Transbay district, the 803,700-square-foot tower sits across the street from the new Transbay Transit Center and just three blocks from San Francisco Bay. The project marks GP’s first completed building in the city.

At 605 feet tall, the tower is designed with a massing that integrates three different floor plates. Within these distinct floor plates, a series of large outdoor terraces are carved out to provide substantial outdoor tenant amenity spaces—mini “parks in the sky.”

“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,” says James Goettsch, FAIA, chairman and co-CEO at GP, as well as the design leader for 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.” 

The tower’s façade is composed of floor-to-ceiling glass and is articulated with vertical glass fins that relate to the location of the tower terraces, which occur at a three-story module. The podium façade also utilizes a series of single-floor fins to break down the scale at the pedestrian level. The fritted pattern is repeated through to the base of the building to help continue the tower articulation and materiality throughout the overall massing. 

“The materiality and scale of the façade changes with each of the distinct floor plate areas, yet they work in concert with each other,” notes Scott Seyer, AIA, LEED AP, principal and senior project designer at GP. “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.” 

At the base of the tower is a covered 3,600-square-foot outdoor plaza with a 35-foot-high ceiling. The area is designated as privately owned public outdoor space (POPOS) that abuts both the tower’s main lobby and adjoining retail space. Along with a series of outdoor seating areas, a major focal point of this outdoor space is a large, site-specific art installation, entitled “Night Writing” by Teresita Fernandez, which is integrated into the main wall of the tower’s core.

With design features such as raised floors, natural ventilation and high-efficiency building systems, the project addresses several sustainable initiatives and is certified LEED Gold.

The tower has set a record landmark in the real estate industry, with news released last year that it will be fully occupied by Facebook. At 755,900 square feet, it is the largest single lease deal in San Francisco’s history. 

In addition to GP and the development group, the project team included project manager Project Management Advisors (PMA), associate architects Solomon Cordwell Buenz and Stevens & Associates, structural engineer Magnusson Klemencic Associates, MEP engineer WSP, landscape architect Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture, and general contractor Clark Construction Group, as well as Lightswitch Architectural and IA Interior Architects, among others.