SAN FRANCISCO | 1177 Market Street (Trinity Place) | 240 FT | 24 FLOORS

[BTinSF]

Originally Posted by viewguysf

See nativeguy's post #606 above where he explained that.

Yes, I think it's a parapet of some sort to hide the HVAC and other equipment.

It can also be seen as a middle digit to SG.

[Jerry of San Fran]

BT - I did not pick up the comment till a second reading - the middle digit - very funny.

I like your new crazy cat icon.

[nativeguy1964]

Parapet - thats the word I couldn't remember - eys when I went to see the model, the guy from the project told me about that - I had said he I'm not counting the right number of units and what are those top two floors?" He said o it was a parapet to hide the elevator n stuff.

[Jerry of San Fran]

The Ark of the Covenent? A secret detention center? The concrete forms are in place and in a few days the pour will have been done. When the walls are put up whatever it is will be forever hidden from view (fortunately!).

The architect did a good job of hiding the utilities on the SOMA Grand roof next-door to Trinity Plaza. It would have been nice if the State Comp. Fund building roof-top utilites (lower right of picture) across the steet from the Fox Plaza had been hidden from view, but that is history now.

[BTinSF]

Originally Posted by Jerry of San Fran

The Ark of the Covenent? A secret detention center? The concrete forms are in place and in a few days the pour will have been done. When the walls are put up whatever it is will be forever hidden from view (fortunately!).

That's almost certainly the penthouse for the elevator shafts (equivalent to the one seen on the SOMA Grand next door).

[nativeguy1964]

ITs really starting to look like the finished product now.The windows and exterior is going on very quickly. I've been peeking at the lobby - nothing going on there yet. waiting for that much ballyhooed marble finish.

[nativeguy1964]

I would have liked it better if instead of using those silver and concrete exteriors - they would have made the whole thing with the glass exterior. See those sections that have the all glass exterior- those units have floor to ceiling windows. the concrete and silver sections have smaller 6x6 windows. I prefer uniformity, one, and two, I want a floor to ceiling window the limited number of those units means I probabaly won't get one.

[BTinSF]

Originally Posted by nativeguy1964

I would have liked it better if instead of using those silver and concrete exteriors - they would have made the whole thing with the glass exterior. See those sections that have the all glass exterior- those units have floor to ceiling windows. the concrete and silver sections have smaller 6x6 windows. I prefer uniformity, one, and two, I want a floor to ceiling window the limited number of those units means I probabaly won't get one.

I walked by yesterday. The use of a variety of exterior cladding is obviously intended to diminish the tremendous mass of the thing--to make it look like a grouping of smaller masses rather than one huge one. It won't really be possible to judge how successful that is until the entire building is built (all 3 phases). This is probably going to be the "chunkiest" building in SF (except, perhaps, for the Burton Federal Building)--necessary to cram so many apartments in such a small footprint without building a very tall highrise. I'm sure the planners pushed them toward breaking up the mass.

[Jerry of San Fran]

I ate at the Heavens Dog this week for the first time and was pleased. It is strange that the dining room is in the back of the restaurant, a rather confining shoebox shaped room.

I walked by the Trinity Place on the way home and saw some hugh chunks of granite on the ground level leaning against the building. Looks like the lobby may be quite nice - I love marble and granite. We have travetine in the lobby of the Fox Plaza and I am not particularly fond of the stone.

[nativeguy1964]

yes they were trying to break up the mass - but - in reality, the exterior shenanigans that architects use to theoretically trick the eye into making the buildings look smaller or less imposing - only works on people who are willing to believe. The rest of us can see the buildings. The big fat chunky buildings. I mean us build it and save the money on the fancy decorations and put the money into better appllicances or something.

[nequidnimis]

Originally Posted by nativeguy1964

build it and save the money on the fancy decorations and put the money into better appllicances or something.

Don't worry, this building is an exception. Every residential developer in town saves money on the facade and provides top of the line appliances to prospective buyers as they cannot see their own building from inside and this provides them with something real for their money. Most exceptions - like the Infinity - are the result of neighborhood opposition.

[BTinSF]

Originally Posted by nativeguy1964

build it and save the money on the fancy decorations and put the money into better appllicances or something.

Not in a city where the bureaucracy micromanages everything about development. If they had tried this massive a structure in the usual pastel stucco, the Planning Department would have forced a redesign.

[BTinSF]

Originally Posted by Jerry of San Fran

I ate at the Heavens Dog this week for the first time and was pleased. It is strange that the dining room is in the back of the restaurant, a rather confining shoebox shaped room.

I walked by the Trinity Place on the way home and saw some hugh chunks of granite on the ground level leaning against the building. Looks like the lobby may be quite nice - I love marble and granite. We have travetine in the lobby of the Fox Plaza and I am not particularly fond of the stone.

I had trouble even finding the SG restaurant and I am renewing my prediction it will fail rather promptly (or as soon as Charles Phan can get out of his lease).

Can anybody clear up the parking situation at Trinity for me? The building under construction has no parking and I assume at least part of the surface lots will go away once the next phase of construction starts (or even once demolition starts). So are they going to build any part of the underground parking for the new building before Phase 1 opens? How about the rather grand set of steps to the left of the new building on renderings--or any of the other surrounding hardscape?

I've been waiting to see some evidence of work on that, but nothing so far--and they only have about 8 months now until they hope to start move-ins.

[nequidnimis]

Originally Posted by BTinSF

Not in a city where the bureaucracy micromanages everything about development. If they had tried this massive a structure in the usual pastel stucco, the Planning Department would have forced a redesign.

You mean like the Planning Department did with the SOMA Grand or the Argenta (1 Polk St.)? The Planning Department is here to make sure buildings gets built and the city remains vibrant. From this point of view, the bigger, the better.

[nativeguy1964]

The parking situation will be - that once building A is complete they will begin the ear down of the existing building. once that is done. Phase II, the market street building along with the raised plaza ( with parking underneath will be competed. This was a bone of contention at the planning meeting because the planning commish doen't not want to allow all the parking to come on line ahead of the units that are completed. There is a ratio that is allowed. However, you can't build half a garage sot the planning cimsh said - build the entire podium for phase 2 and three and the plaza on top of it and the parking underneath it - but only allow use of the number of spaces per the number of units completed. It may be 10 years before phase three is complete and unitl that time - the coressponding number of parking spaces in the garage will be roped off and not available for use.

[nativeguy1964]

The planning commish does not want to encourage parking and driving in the neighborhood by making all the spaces avail. ahead of time.

[viewguysf]

Originally Posted by BTinSF

Not in a city where the bureaucracy micromanages everything about development. If they had tried this massive a structure in the usual pastel stucco, the Planning Department would have forced a redesign.

And they would have been perfectly justified in doing so. Mediocre to ugly structures should not be tolerated in prime areas of San Francisco; we have far to many of them as it is. We all like the plans for Trinity Place because it was designed by Arquitectonica and is highly interesting. Your statement smacks of hypocrisy--look how you and the rest of us were pleased when Arquitectonica upgraded The Infinity and the plans for 535 Mission, both mediocre Heller Manus designs. You and others have also previously complained that the Planning Department dumbs down good designs. Thankfully, despite all of Chris Daly's meddling, etc., that was not the case here.

[nativeguy1964]

I for one would rather see cheaper housing without so much added cost due to extravagant exterior finishes and designs. Just get some basic housing built. Just don't build it too tall Im tired of the sky being blocked out block by block. In fill density with 60 or 60 foot height limits should be the general rule. Everytime I waslk through my neighborhood ( western soma) I see that damn monstrosity on Rincon hill sticking up - much like the people who live there all it does is say "look at me look at me" Its in the way and I'm so sick of seeing it there. No more of those can be built. enough is enough.

[nativeguy1964]

as far as the dif between soma grand and trinity place building A. There isnt any. They look just the same to me. They are the same size. The have a combo of glass and concrete, they are both fairly drab and not particularly spectacular and quite frankly, that is good. they are both basic functional buildings of reasonable size they offer decent basic condos and decent basic apartments. two things the city needs. and neither one tries to hard or is obnoxious to the eye. Its my neighborhood and I approve. The downtown residential ego mania aka one rincon etc - that era, brief as it was - is over. its just not for san francisco. we knew it all along , and now we are stuck with what we got. But thats the end of that.

[nativeguy1964]

They have finally started putting the exterior concrete panels on the back side of the elevator shaft ( east side)