Tallest tower would be office, condos and a hotel, don't know yet about the other two. But given the location (edge of the FiDi), the fact that everything else planned around there is residential, and the fact that the office market is just now entering an up cycle--probably office.

Can I throw my hat into the ring? I'm licensed!! :banana:

Quick massing model showing the heights...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...RANSBAY-SM.jpg

I think they're just a bit high, Mike--going from the mechanical level of 50 Fremont at ~200', I'd say you've made the thousand-footer 1100' or so.

Still: awesome. I can't wait. I have to admit that ever since these were announced, whenever I'm at a vantage point where I think they might be visible, I take a few seconds to try to visualize them.

A vantage point like, say, my roof:

http://sfcityscape.com/forum/transba...ender_1000.jpg

I think these towers will be quite awesome when fully realized.
I just love San Francisco, such an amazing place, and your mayor is so dreamy, but why oh why is he dating a scientologist?!?!?!
:P

He's not any more, thank Xenu.

You know J Church, while his rendering is definitely taller than a 1000 feet, I think the TJPA said the building could possibly end up being the tallest in the west...so who knows? It conceivably could be 1,100 feet tall (I never thought I'd even say that about SF). Of course, it depends on the (lengthy) public discussions that are sure to follow in the near future.

Still, the very thought that someone is even discussing something like this in SF...it's exciting to think what a dynamic place the Transbay area could become in a decade or so. I just hope they can make these towers truly jaw dropping, and that the people of our city actually let them do it.

I think the heights fit in great with the skyline, thanks for the massing studies plinko & J Church. San Franciscans are right to preserve the lowrise character of their city, but in an area already full of skyscrapers, there's nothing to worry about.

however, I'm with CGII. Transamerica sets a high standard to live up to. I'd be worried about Renzo Piano. You run a pretty high risk of getting an esoteric monument that architects love and regular people scratch their heads at. In the very least, you're guaranteed to get something that tries desperately to be understated, not dramatic.

Has Piano designed any large skyscrapers other than the NY Times building? Cause if that's the precedent, SF should be worried. I think that building is turning into a pretty big letdown.

Shard London (Bridge), Aurora Place in Sydney. Anyway I disagree; I find Piano to be more populist than other starchitects.

munkyman, it could be a bit over 1000' but I doubt it'll go much higher. 1019' would be the tallest in the West.

I'm still hoping that some crazy developer will finally realize the 138 floor highrise from The Towering Inferno. Market St @ 3rd I believe was the site in the movie, lol..

In spite of the carping from unreconstructed flower children and others, I think these buildings can get built. That's because the current crop of city politicians, generally an anti-development crowd, seem to want the new TransBay Terminal very badly--and they need the money developers will pay for a site for very tall buildings to pay for the terminal. They want it enough even to make the terminally short-sighted Sup. Chris Daly, another Eastern tranplant, specifically say he had nothing against tall buildings (really!!, I kid you not!).

What I can't figure out it WHY they want it so badly. The city center is slowly shifting south--toward the present CalTrain terminal, which already has excellent transportation links to the newish N-Judah/Third St subway line extention and, eventually (let us pray!) the cross-town subway. So why they want to spend billions (I think the latest estimate is something like $4 billion) to move CalTrain and, if it ever gets built, the high-speed link to LA, 6 or 7 blocks north, I don't know.

But if it results in a 1000' tower on Mission St, I'm for it! And I believe the version I read said "at least 1000 ft". Given the competition with LA and Seattle, if they go that high I bet they'll put on a spire or something to make it tallest in the west.

By the way, the opening post in this thread said no architects had been selected for the buildings, but it's looking very likely that Renzo Piano will do one of the 850 footers (the one at First and Mission, diagonally across the intersection from the thousand footer).

Incidentally, does anyone know if the site for the Piano building includes the empty lot formerly used by Golden Gate U. that was scheduled at one point to be a Sofitel? Or it is only the corner and adjacent lots where there are presently older buildings of modest (aprrox 7 or 8 stories) height?

Can't wait for renderings. :D

Great job but I'd like to note that the situation will be even more dramatic than shown because the Millenium tower should be there just to the left of the other new buildings and one or more of the new Rincon towers would be in the background (I'm pretty sure I can see at least the site of the One Rincon South Tower just to the right of the TransBay group ).

Now, the question is, will they be slender, with some kind of a crown, or massive with a flat roof ?

I hope they make the Transbay Tower the tallest on the west coast, the US Bank Tower in LA has held the title for a good time period now and that needs to change. With 301 Mission and Rincon Tower rising the skyline will look incredible from the south once all the projects are completed. I never thought SF would be building skyscrapers like this again...

^Looks like your hope has a chance in hell. A little birdie has whispered in our ear: it may be 1250' tall.

looks like it would fit the skyline perfectly...hope it becomes reality.

This Planning Department hates flat roofs. They will require AT LEAST some kind of sculpting to hide the HVAC equipment (a la the St. Regis), but odds are since they seem determined to create a real landmark that they will want something dramatic.:cheers:

This is just beyond good news. Hopefully this ball keeps rollin'.

here are some new images of the new towers.

(thanks to j church for copying the images from the presentation!)

http://sfcityscape.com/forum/transba...ure_island.jpg

http://sfcityscape.com/forum/transba...w_from_280.jpg

http://sfcityscape.com/forum/transba...erial_view.jpg

can we all say SEXY!

^That's hawt