An Urban Site Becomes Innovative Park Amenity
The public space responds to a variety of site conditions and idiosyncratic edges with a series of a park “rooms,” divided by crossing streets, that are unified by circulation routes, color, lighting, and materiality. The spaces range from a recreation area to a beer garden, to a multilevel pavilion with retail and amenities. Each park room includes site-specific elements, such as a playful slide through the park’s topography and porch swings suspended from the overhead bus ramp. The park programming is distinctive – meant to attract people seasonally throughout the year by creating a destination that draws visitors from around the city.
Inspired by the 1970s prehistoric fantasy TV series “Land of the Lost”, the planting palette creates a primeval jungle-like environment unique to downtown San Francisco. The bold forms and textures complement the scale of the ramps and columns and are suitable for shady, understory conditions. Where there is light, the design takes advantage of the opportunity to plant tall sculptural trees that create a verdant counterpoint to the looming urban context. Water use considerations balance the tough site constraints to ensure the plant selection is ecologically appropriate to thrive in this shady and high traffic condition.
With a ramp overhead, lighting is an essential aspect of the design. The plans call for a foundational layer of ambient lighting to achieve consistent brightness throughout the day, rain or shine, ensuring a safe and welcoming park. The underside of the ramp will be illuminated with a graphic pattern that serves to announce gateway moments and provide a connective visual cue. Many of the program spaces have their own distinct lighting approach that help define the space, like the glowing architecture of the concession stand and the light-prism array in the ramp turnaround.
East Cut Sports + Dog Park will improve connectivity with a design that creates a stronger pedestrian and bicycle link between the Rincon Hill neighborhood to the south and the new Transit Center to the north.
As a new park for an emerging neighborhood that continues to grow and change dramatically, the design provides interactive programs and urban amenities that will foster a sense of community in the Transbay neighborhood and attract visitors from greater downtown San Francisco.
