Transbay Terminal: The Movie
10 Aug 2007
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Appealing to the nameless masses, SOM has posted the videos for their San Francisco Transbay Terminal competition entry onto YouTube.
It worked on my office, and I might be a little more convinced, but the scheme is a just too cold and lifeless for my tastes. However, the video is incredibly successfull in communicating the scale of the space. This place is going to huge, and if everything goes according to plan, San Francisco will finally have it’s own Grand Central.
All seven of the SOM YouTube videos can be seen here.
Written by Jimmy Stamp in Architecture &
2 comments
10 August, 2007 at 6:20 am
I keep hearing the “lifeless corporate architecture” line about this entry…and I just don’t get it. I’ve tried, but I’m too blown away. The crazy arched crossbracing is like some kind of new age Prarie Style decoration on a seriously grand scale. And that gargantan digital wall entrance…100 feet high! Monumental, yes. Cold, maybe. But no moreso than beloved modern landmarks like the John Hancock Center here in Chicago.
Buildings this size, with such an important purpose (gateway, zenith) aren’t meant to give you a hug.
As for the other proposals, Rogers’ is a hot piece of mess, and if you want cold and lifeless, look no further than Mr. Pelli.
10 August, 2007 at 4:23 pm
Seeing it from the street level, I’m definitely more convinced. But on the inside…it looks like a new branch of MoMA or some vast, futuristic THX-1138 commuterville.
The other schemes at least give us some color and trees and actually seem like a place people might want want to meet or relax or have lunch. With such a huge civic presence, this needs to work as more than just a gateway.