1997
urban plaza
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Union Square
The announcement of a competition for the redesign of Union Square in San Francisco was a recognition that it had become a blighted haven for transients that was cut off from the fabric of the surrounding city. The brief therefore emphasized the Square's physical connection to the context as well as it's perception from the point of view of it's would-be users.
A contributing factor to the isolation of Union Square was the difficulty getting to it: Four large, heavily trafficked streets bound the square on four sides rendering the square accessible only at the corners. In response we proposed ramping the streets down to provide access to the parking garage mid-block at a lower level. This allowed us to add four more points of pedestrian access, doubling the connection to the context.
The park scheme proposes a variety of programs that encourage neighborhood participation including a farmer's market, an informal stage and a plaza that can be converted to an ice-rink during the holidays. A horticultural agenda contrasts native California plants with common foreign species and hybrids between them all connected by a legible irrigation system.
