Improvements to the five-acre site include greater connectivity to the waterfront and new amenities for residents and visitors.
The San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission has unanimously approved the final concept design for the Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park Improvement Project. The $40 million public-private effort will transform five acres at the foot of Market Street into a cohesive park with expansive lawns, gathering spaces, recreation opportunities and community programming. HOK will serve as lead designer and landscape architect of record.
The project aims to establish the site as a world-class public space that represents San Francisco’s rich culture and encourages increased use by residents and visitors alike. By improving connectivity to the Bay and accommodating a wider range of activities onsite, the new design supports community well-being and downtown renewal.
“We are reimagining Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park, turning it into a true front door to downtown and a destination in its own right,” said Mayor Daniel Lurie. “This new and ambitious waterfront park is part of our vision for a downtown where people live, work, play and learn and will help us build on our momentum downtown—because when downtown succeeds, our entire city succeeds.”
The project is funded through a public-private partnership between the City of San Francisco and BXP, owner of the adjacent Embarcadero Center Towers. The renovation will address multiple issues with the current site, including walls and level changes that obstruct views and access to the waterfront—a legacy of when the park and plaza sat adjacent to the Embarcadero Freeway.
With the freeway removed following the 1989 Loma Pietra Earthquake, the plaza now sits in a different context than the one in which it was designed. The Vaillancourt Fountain, a 710-ton Brutalist public art piece, once served to counter noise from the expressway but has since been declared non-operational and a public hazard. Other factors contributing to the site’s underutilization include insufficient lawn drainage, a largely hardscape plaza that limits activity and aging infrastructure.
The HOK team conducted site analysis of different user groups, points of arrival, and sightlines and connectivity to nearby landmarks to improve overall functionality as an open space network. The new design considers the site in five major zones defined by function:
- Community & Family area: This zone, close to residential buildings along Washington and Drumm streets, will maintain the park’s existing playground and add a dog park and spaces for outdoor dining and recreation.
- Ecology & History area: An interpretive history and culture walk beside the Embarcadero will celebrate the rich heritage of the site while buffer gardens will provide connections to nature.
- Multi-use area: The heart of the park will serve as a spacious, multi-use lawn for picnics and recreation. It can also accommodate occasional events requiring large-scale installations such as a stage or ice rink.
- Dining & Retail Spill Out area: Flexible seating adjacent to Embarcadero Center will accommodate dining and retail spill out activity from the building.
- Market, Festival & Art area: This zone will activate the Market Street gateway as a prime site for art festivals, vendors and donor recognition.
HOK is providing landscape architecture, architecture, structural engineering and lighting design to the project.
“Great cities deserve great public places,” says Brian Jencek, HOK’s San Francisco-based director of planning and landscape architecture. “Embarcadero Park transforms aging infrastructure and visual barriers into an iconic, connective waterfront experience. The Park is designed to be the heartbeat of the San Francisco waterfront—a premier destination for daily and large-scale events that amplifies downtown San Francisco’s renewal and creates an enduring legacy for future generations.”