SAN FRANCISCO | 536 Mission Street | 752 or 698 FT | 47 FLOORS

[twinpeaks]

The existing building is ugly and not worth preserving. Tear it down and build something more useful.

[samoen313]

Definitely worth preserving. Full stop. That is good architecture and what would replace it is corporate and banal. Not BAD, but not worthy of replacing something interesting.

[SFView]

Brutalist Architecture

Source: Google Search:

History and Context

* Origins: Originated in the UK after WWII for schools and social housing, later expanding to government and institutional buildings globally.

* Name Origin: Derived from Le Corbusier’s use of "béton brut" (raw concrete), and popularized by critic Reyner Banham.

* Peak and Decline: Popular in the 1960s-70s, it declined by the 1980s due to high maintenance costs and public perception of the style as cold"ugly" or oppressive.

* Modern Resurgence: Despite past criticisms, many brutalist structures are now recognized for their cultural value, leading to preservation efforts and trends like "eco-brutalism".

In my personal opinion, I would not miss this building if it were demolished. However, it does appear to hold architectural significance. We will have to wait and see what the city ultimately decides, and if any compromises will be necessary as a result.

[38 Geary]

This article includes some updates on 536 Mission.

S.F.’s next skyscraper push tests a risky bet: Offices can still lead downtown’s comeback
By Laura Waxmann, Staff Writer
April 7, 2026

...

Three blocks down from Beale Street, a proposal by Lincoln Property Company and partner McCourt Partners to redevelop the Golden Gate University campus at 536 Mission St. is also moving through the entitlement process. That plan would demolish the existing seven story structure and replace it with a new 46 story skyscraper — either a 700 foot office tower with about 1.3 million square feet of space or a slightly shorter mixed use tower combining offices and hundreds of homes.

JPMorgan leases a close to 300,000-square-foot office next door at 560 Mission St., and real estate insiders say relocating or expanding within a new tower at 536 Mission could be an attractive and relatively easy move for the bank.

But whether the development will align with the bank’s timing is unclear. Documents filed with the city’s Planning Department show that the developer is expected to provide information and revisions requested by the department in the coming months. A document laying out its construction phasing shows that demolition at the site may not occur until August 2028. Planning officials confirmed that this schedule is just an estimate, and that no entitlement hearing has been set for the project. Lincoln Property declined to comment on its timelines, though a spokesperson for the company confirmed the project is advancing.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/downtown-office-tower-race-22162316.php

[38 Geary]

We have some updated specs and renderings for 536 Mission St:

Office variant:
- 47 floors, 752 ft
- 1.35 million sq ft of office space
- 7,120 sq ft for retail
- Parking for 64 cars and 218 bicycles

Mixed use variant:
- 47 floors, 698 ft
- 643,500 sq ft of office space
- 385 residential units (64 studios, 221 1BR, 60 2BR, 40 3BR) on floors 22-46
- Residential amenities on floor 21
- 6,980 sq ft for retail
- Parking for 184 cars and 297 bicycles

The site:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/83S1mZ3GKf6nTyAj7

New Renderings For 536 Mission Street in SoMa, San Francisco



By: Andrew Nelson 5:30 am on April 27, 2026

New renderings and updated documents have been shared for a skyscraper at 536 Mission Street in SoMa, San Francisco. The team is still pursuing two high-density versions for the site, with a minor residential capacity for the mixed-use iteration. Lincoln Property Company and McCourt Partners are jointly responsible for the application. Earlier this month, the developer filed a second plan check letter with the city, providing an overview of adjustments and alterations to the proposals for 536 Mission Street. The mixed-use iteration includes 385 units, a reduction from the initial plan for 396 dwelling units.

...

Skidmore Owings & Merrill is responsible for the design of both versions. The mixed-use iteration will split the lower 21 floors into offices, with 25 residential levels on the top floors. The rectilinear tower will feature two articulated setbacks to produce terraced open space for office employees. Residential amenities will be included on the 22nd and 47th floors. Plans for the office iteration show a sculpted tower arching away from the narrow Ecker Street alleyway.

...

Construction is expected to take around four years from groundbreaking to completion, with foundation work expected to start a year after demolition, and vertical construction starting 18 months after demolition. If built, 536 Mission Street could become the fifth or sixth-tallest building in San Francisco.

https://sfyimby.com/2026/04/new-renderings-for-536-mission-street-in-soma-san-francisco.html

[38 Geary]

Office variant renderings:









https://sfyimby.com/2026/04/new-renderings-for-536-mission-street-in-soma-san-francisco.html

[38 Geary]

Mixed-use variant renderings:











https://sfyimby.com/2026/04/new-renderings-for-536-mission-street-in-soma-san-francisco.html

[mrnyc]

the office style looks a little manhattan west-ish.

[unpermitted_variance]

Perfectly fine designs, but nothing too inspiring IMO. The mixed-use variant reminds me a lot of 560 Mission next door.

[peanut gallery]

^Very reminiscent of its neighbor. I think it would be cool if they could orient the entrance toward 560's POPUS plaza rather than toward the East. It might make a nice, open entrance. But I'm guessing that would require some redesign of the water feature, which is a complication no one wants to tackle (I don't blame them).

[gillynova]

Definitely prefer the office rendering but I would rather much like it mixed use

[38 Geary]

^ ditto

With either variant, it would be the new 5th tallest building in SF, in between 555 California and 345 California, although the office variant at 752 ft would be closer to 555 California at 779 ft, and the mixed use variant at 698 ft would be closer to 345 California at 695 ft.