The Golden State Warriors, currently the team with the best record in the National Basketball Association, looks like it could finally get a new arena. And according the latest proposal being floated, that arena on 12 acres would be a centerpiece for the redevelopment of the south half of San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that David Manica of Kansas City-based Manica Architecture, the lead architect on this project, earlier this month presented to the Mission Bay Citizens Advisory Committee what he admits is an incomplete design for what’s being called an “event center.”
His version—which when it was first revealed last September drew jibes that compared the arena’s shape to a toilet—is more conventional than what had been proposed for Piers 30 and 32 by the Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta, whose cofounder Craig Dykers is identified the project’s senior design advisor.
Manica’s concept is circular and mostly flat. It would seat 18,000 people, and include a 24,000-sf public plaza on its southeast side and a 35,000-sf plaza on the Third Avenue side. The east edge of the site would be set up to accommodate food concessionaires and a smaller arena entrance.
This arena had been a political football for at least two years, but opposition appears to have evaporated for a plan that would make the arena a focal point of this community’s revitalization, the Chronicle reports.
Flanking its Third Street plaza would nearly 500,000 sf of office space. The plan also calls for nearly 100,000 sf of retail. “The arena project can shake things up—as a swirling silver counterpart to a static scene, and as an attraction that puts people on the streets during both day and night,” writes John King, the Chronicle’s urban design critic. “The segregation of Mission Bay into two halves, one residential and one commercial, starts to break down. There also will be a renewed emphasis on Third Street, which too much of Mission Bay treats as a back alley despite the presence of the light-rail line.”
“This should really enliven the area, and bring people from across the city and region,” adds Tiffany Bohee, executive director of the city’s Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure.
In addition to the arena plan, there are several housing projects under construction or just opened in Mission Bay. The University of California-San Francisco’s Mission Bay hospital complex opens its first phase in February.
Warriors’ management hopes to receive approvals by next fall, with construction to be complete in time for the 2018-19 basketball season.
Read more about the project at NBA.com and San Francisco Chronicle.
Related Stories
High-rise Construction | May 6, 2015
Parks in the sky? Subterranean bike paths? Meet the livable city, designed in 3D
Today’s great cities must be resilient—and open—to many things, including the influx of humanity, writes Gensler co-CEO Andy Cohen.
Architects | May 5, 2015
How to build 'smart' teams
In today's complex world, there are no simple answers—solutions to our most pressing problems aren't offered in 140 characters. Instead, it takes teams of people to rise to a challenge, resolve issues, and execute on strategy, writes Paladino's Julie Honeywell.
Multifamily Housing | May 1, 2015
Trade groups extend campaign to promote apartment living
The groups claim that there are more than 37 million Americans—12% of the population—living in just under 20 million apartment units nationwide. Apartments and their residents contribute $1.3 trillion annually to the economy.
Contractors | May 1, 2015
Nonresidential fixed investments fall in latest Construction Economic Update
This is the first time that nonresidential fixed investment declined since the first quarter of 2011, ABC reported. Nonresidential fixed investment had been rising by more than 4% on an annualized basis during five of the previous six quarters.
Architects | Apr 30, 2015
Safdie Architects accepting applications for 2015 Research Fellowship
The program, which features a theme of “dense urbanism,” encourages participants to tackle the challenges associated with contemporary urban landscapes using new tools and solutions to create a better functioning and humane city.
Museums | Apr 27, 2015
Finalists’ designs for Guggenheim Helsinki competition released
A custom-developed App engages an international public in the selection process.
Wood | Apr 26, 2015
Building wood towers: How high is up for timber structures?
The recent push for larger and taller wood structures may seem like an architectural fad. But Building Teams around the world are starting to use more large-scale structural wood systems.
Museums | Apr 23, 2015
Moshe Safdie unveils pentagonal scheme for National Medal of Honor Museum
The new museum near Charleston, S.C., will archive the history of the nation's highest military honorees.
Green | Apr 23, 2015
3 sustainable projects take top prize in 2015 Global Holcim Awards
Projects from Colombia, Sri Lanka, and the U.S. were chosen by the Holcim Foundation for the impact the projects have on their local communities.
High-rise Construction | Apr 23, 2015
Size matters in NYC, where several projects vie for the city’s tallest building honor
The latest renderings of 217 West 57th Street show a tower that would rise higher than the World Trade Center’s pinnacle, when elevations are included.
