The slender form of this 27-story office tower shows poise in a time of urban flash according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s architecture critic, John King.
“Amid the craze for contorted drama that passes too much for architecture these days, San Francisco’s newest office tower at 535 Mission Street comes as a decided relief. It’s 27 stories of silvery gray glass, sliced at each corner to taper upward like an obelisk, smooth as plastic wrap. At one end there’s a small public plaza tucked beneath the tower but open on all sides.”
“The development included the transformation of Shaw Alley, with concrete pavers, long granite benches and flowering pear trees. Fire trucks will be able to pass through, but otherwise this will be a people-only zone open around the clock.”
“The tall lobby, with its clear glass wall, is pulled back 7 feet from the tower above, so the perceived width of the alley is enlarged. This impression is amplified by the wonderfully site-appropriate public art by Napa’s Gordon Huether, ’Applique Da Parete,’ which cloaks the inner wall of the lobby with white granite in various sizes and textures.”
“As for the tower, it slices inward at each corner along Shaw. This signals the entries to the lobby, yes, but also opens up views to and from the alley.”
“When work on the space is finished next month, the result should be a fresh example of how the corporate and public realms can coexist.”