There is at least one dramatic design element being considered for the new Embarcadero Park, as SF Rec & Parks moves ahead on the major renovation set to take place over the next year.
Design firm HOK will be presenting three design options Monday for a 40-foot-high pavilion that is being planned as a central aspect of the new plaza and park that will replace Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park — set to be called Art Agnos Plaza and Embarcadero Park.
As the Chronicle reports, the design presentation will be before the SF Arts Commission's Civic Design Review Committee, which meets on the third Monday of the month at 2 pm. The design options, seen below, include a more traditional pavilion-like shade structure, and two variations on an undulating concept that is more sculptural — it's not as clear how this lends itself to a space for performances, as Rec & Parks intends, but it looks cool!
Maybe shade cloth or lights could be strung between the wires? The details aren't clear but should be made clearer at Monday's presentation.
As the Chronicle reports, HOK Principal Paul Woolford is expected to make the presentation, and public comment will be welcomed.
The new Embarcadero Park is about to undergo a $40 million renovation being paid for in a public-private partnership, with Embarcadero Center property owner BXP leading the charge, having put up $2.5 million for the initial design process.
With the loss of the much-maligned but beloved-by-some Vaillancourt Fountain earlier this year, and the removal this week of Marco Cochran's beloved-by-some 45-foot-tall female figure, discussions have been percolating about what design elements or public art will become the focal points of the new park.
This pavilion would be located to the left side of the large multi-use lawn seen in the plan drawing below. Rec & Parks says it will be used for outdoor concerts, festivals, puppet shows, and more.
See the pavilion below, in a rendering, situated between the two green areas.
Design refinements for the park are reportedly ongoing, and discussions about public art elements appear not to have started yet, beyond this pavilion design.
The park is expected to be completed, possibly, by late 2027, which means a whole lot of construction mess at the foot of Market Street for the better part of the next year.
Previously: 45-Foot-Tall Nude Woman Sculpture to Leave Embarcadero Plaza Next Week
