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arcs strands
The Presidio Gateway Project . 2014
SN?HETTA
together with
Hood Design Studio
MIG
Center For Eco-literacy
Magnusson Klemencic Associates
PRESIDIO GATEWAY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary
VISION
A Vision for an Urban National Park
Preserve and Connect
Experiencing the Gateway:
DESIGN
Establishing the Framework:
Shaping a Constructed Landscape
Site Organization
ACTIVITY
Place & Programming
APPENDIX
Site Analysis
Process
2
Executive Summary: Our VisionExecutive Summary: Our Vision
The Presidio marks a location where topographies and cultures have long mixed in a unique and specific way. It is important
to recognize the Presidio’s many nuances in order to guide a successful new addition to such a sensitive place.
The site is bigger than the site.
Although the Presidio’s local site conditions must be considered, it is also important to remember its connections and
relationship with the rest of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, far beyond the Presidio’s property lines. The Golden
Gate Bridge, Angel Island, Alcatraz, The North and East Bays, Marin, the Pacific and the Presidio hills are also part of the
project site. The new design should give visual access to these other places in a meaningful way.
Integration is coupled with illumination.
Arcs of terrain are artfully linked with strands from the grids of the Presidio. While the integrated design minimizes the
impact of the new developments for the Presidio Gateway, it also promotes new understandings of these places that have
been lost over time or that will develop in time. Illuminate the site’s beauty and resources, while also re-connecting the
now disparate locales within the Presidio.
Activities are dynamic and adjustable.
A range of larger and smaller places are proposed within an organic plan to help set the stage for future planning. These
areas can also be seen as seasonal destinations. Simple and comfortable means of movement have been created that
respect the Presidio’s historical bluff while also promoting ease of movement between the upper and lower promenades
of the new landscape.
Narrowing the gap between architecture and landscape.
Removing existing degraded or irrelevant structures is a key to a clear site organization and a legible landscape for visitors.
The new design sets forth a series of options suggesting how new buildings can be integrated into the landscape, promoting
socially-sensible architectural design rather than overt sculptural icons.
Climate, acoustics and the unseen are design drivers.
Each aspect of the design recognizes the extreme variations in climate and atmosphere that occur at the Presidio. Changes
in wind, temperature, acoustic and solar conditions are managed while also understanding that these environmental
changes and variation are inherent to the site. A parallel social dynamic is also created, social conditions can vary and
change from the quiet and introspective spaces to the vibrant and communal environments.
3
Executive Summary: Design Approach
Several fundamental moves have shaped the design.
Rethinking The Visitor’s Center And The Post Office Building
In order to connect the Presidio and the waterfront, we have proposed to shift the Visitor’s Center from the rather static
architecture of the Post Office Building (210) and placed into a new structure, integrated into the landscape and closer to
the bluff. From here it will be visible by guests along the waterfront as well as those nearby the parade grounds. The former
Post Office Building can then be used for visitor amenities such as a food market and rest areas related to the communal
environment of the parade grounds.
Removal Of The Transit Hub Building
The Transit Hub Building (215) has little historical or cultural relevance to the site and further impedes views and access
in a north/south direction. A new transit hub and visitor drop-off is proposed to the East on a new street linking Halleck t
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