Seasons within Seasons 

Pier 70 is undergoing a dramatic transformation from active industry to a new waterfront neighborhood celebrating the site’s industrial heritage and the reintroduction of public space to a substantial section of San Francisco’s waterfront. The material and color palette being developed across Pier 70’s public spaces and buildings focuses heavily the Pier’s industrial heritage. To contrast the predominance of industrial materials yet still recognize the site’s ongoing transformation, 185 Maryland’s conceptual underpinning focused on the idea of transformation inherent in the seasons of Spring and Autumn. Planting, material colors, and light conditions are rigorously developed and coordinated to recognize Spring on the lower levels and Autumn on the upper levels. To provide balance and recognize fall and spring’s shared aspect of change, a halved boulder is placed in each space with the opposing season’s planting: a large red leaved Japanese maple in the courtyard’s green spring space, while green plants burst from the boulder’s top half on the roof pavilion dominated by reds and oranges.