- The Infinity
Infobox Skyscraper
building_name= The Infinity I
year_built=
surpassed=
year_highest=
year_end=
plural=
caption=The Infinity I in July 2008.
location= 300 Spear Street
San Francisco
status= Under Construction
groundbreaking=2005Cite web|title=The Infinity Tower 1|url=http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=30100|accessdate=2007-09-30|publisher=SkyscraperPage.com]
constructed=
est-completion=
opening= 2008
destroyed=
use= Residential
roof= 137.2 m (450 ft)ref label|note01|A|a
top_floor=
floor_count= 41
floor_area=
elevator_count=
cost=
architect=Heller-Manus Architects /Arquitectonica
engineer=
contractor=Webcor Builders
developer=Tishman Speyer
owner= Infobox Skyscraper
building_name= The Infinity II
year_built=
surpassed=
year_highest=
year_end=
plural=
caption=The Infinity II
location= 300 Spear Street
San Francisco
status= Complete
groundbreaking= 2005Cite web|title=The Infinity Tower 2|url=http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=30101|accessdate=2007-09-30|publisher=SkyscraperPage.com]
constructed=
est-completion=
opening= 2008
destroyed=
use= Residential
roof= 106.7 m (350 ft)
top_floor=
floor_count= 37
floor_area=
elevator_count=
cost=
architect=Heller-Manus Architects /Arquitectonica
engineer=
contractor=Webcor Builders
developer=Tishman Speyer
owner=The Infinity or 300 Spear Street is a mixed-use
residential complex that is under construction in San Francisco,California . The complex is the first phase of a massive residential development encompassing two city blocks.Cite web|title=HELLER-MANUS TOWERS KEY TO TONE OF RINCON HILL|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/06/15/MN310093.DTL|date=2003-06-15|accessdate=2007-09-30|publisher="San Francisco Chronicle"] 300 Spear Street will contain four buildings enclosing 640 residential units.History
The two residential projects, 300 Spear and 201 Folsom, were proposed by Tishman Speyer Properties and initially designed by
Heller Manus Architects . The San Francisco Planning Commission was scheduled to give its vote on the two projects on June 26, 2003, but this was delayed until September. [Cite web|title=S.F. planners delay Rincon Hill towers vote Commissioners want more time to think about the high-rises|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/07/26/BA221301.DTL|date=2003-07-26|accessdate=2007-09-30|publisher="San Francisco Chronicle"] Eventually, the two projects were given approval by the Planning Commission in spite of heavy opposition. [Cite web|title=Residential tower plans approved by S.F. agency 4 huge structures still need supervisors' nod|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/09/05/BA194285.DTL|date=2003-09-05|accessdate=2007-09-30|publisher="San Francisco Chronicle"] However, 300 Spear and 201 Folsom still needed approval from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in order for the project to progress. A few months later, the Board of Supervisors gave initial approval to the projects. [Cite web|title=S.F. supes OK huge Rincon high-rises 4 buildings double area housing units|url=http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/01/28/BAGKF4JGL71.DTL|accessdate=2007-09-30|date=2004-01-28|publisher="San Francisco Chronicle"] The project was given final approval by San Francisco's Board of Supervisors onFebruary 4 2004 . [Cite web|title=SAN FRANCISCO Supervisors OK Rincon Hill towers|url=http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/02/04/BAGL84OIAF1.DTL|publisher="San Francisco Chronicle"|accessdate=2007-09-30|date=2004-02-04]Description
Overview
The residential complex consists of four buildings with one eight and one nine story midrises and one 37 and 41 story highrise towers.Cite web|title=THE INFINITY (300 SPEAR STREET), SAN FRANCISCO, CA|url=http://www.webcor.com/current.html?proj_id=194|publisher=Webcor.com|accessdate=2007-09-30] The highrise towers are named The Infinity I and The Infinity II. One of the towers, the Infinity II, is set to rise 350 feet (107 m) and contain 37 floors. The taller highrise, the Infinity I, is set to rise 450 feet (137 m)ref label|note01|A|b and contain 41 floors. The 640-unit complex containing these the four buildings is bounded by Main
Street to the southwest, Folsom Street to the northwest and Spear Street to the northeast.Cite web|title=The Infinity I|url=http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=streetinfinityi-sanfrancisco-ca-usa|accessdate=2007-09-30|publisher=Emporis.com] Cite web|title=The Infinity II|url=http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=streetinfinityii-sanfrancisco-ca-usa|accessdate=2007-09-30|publisher=Emporis.com] The complex is located one block inland from the Embarcadero and the San Francisco Bay. [Site description based onGoogle Earth images.] Pricing for the units range from $700k-$5 million.Design
300 Spear was originally designed by San Francisco's Heller Manus Architects.Cite web|title= INSIGHT: RINCONoitering: How Vancouver Ideas Do - and Do Not Help - in Shaping San Francisco's First High Density Neighborhood - Part I|url=http://www.archnewsnow.com/features/Feature126.htm|publisher=ArchNewsNow|accessdate=2007-09-30|date=2004-01-22] The 820-unit complex featured a garden on top of the midrise towers and all four buildings were connected together.Cite web|title=A NEW SKYLINE RINCON HILL|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/06/15/MN190427.DTL|date=2003-06-15|publisher="San Francisco Chronicle"|accessdate=2007-09-24] Later, the developer decided to hire
Arquitectonica to revamp the design of 300 Spear along with Heller Manus Architects. The four buildings of the complex were split apart and the sky gardens were gone. In addition, the complex had itscolor changed to a blue-green color which adapted a simplifiedconcrete structure with curving walls of glasscurtainwall and metal. The number of units was also reduced from 820 to 640 before construction of 300 Spear began.Cite web|title=Rincon Hill on the rise Slender towers, wide walkways would transform area|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/04/18/BAG7KCAJG11.DTL|publisher="San Francisco Chronicle"|accessdate=2007-09-30|date=2005-04-18]Impact
The highrise towers are planned to rise above the current buildings in between the Embarcadero
waterfront and Spear Street, making the complex prominent from places like the San Francisco Bay. Along with the Millennium Tower andOne Rincon Hill to the west and south, respectively, they will create a new highrise neighborhood in theSouth of Market district.Construction history
Buried ship discovery
Construction started sometime in April,
2005 when a surface parking lot was demolished to make way for the complex. Midway through the excavation process, a buried 125 foot (38 m) ship was found just to the south of Spear Street.Cite web|title=SAN FRANCISCO Few clues unearthed about mystery ship buried after Gold Rush Dug up at condo project, site of old 'maritime junkyard'|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/09/08/BAGBFEK6PC1.DTL&hw=old+ship+buried&sn=002&sc=706|publisher="San Francisco Chronicle"|accessdate=2007-09-30|date=2005-09-08] The ship was found 20 feet (6 m) below street level on fill that was once a harbor. The buried ship was later identified to be the 1818 whaling ship "The Candace". [Cite web|title=Experts dig up nautical past of long-buried 1818 whaler|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/01/28/MNG1KGV3O41.DTL&hw=old+ship+buried&sn=047&sc=553|publisher="San Francisco Chronicle"|accessdate=2007-09-30|date=2006-01-28]Current progress (2008)
Three of the buildings in Phase I, The Infinity II, the eight and nine story midrises, are complete. Residents have moved into all three Phase I buildings. Construction is progressing along for the last tower, The Infinity I. Currently, the 41-story building is topped-out. Glass has been installed on floors 2 to 37 of the structure. [Cite web|title= SAN FRANCISCO: The Infinity, 300 Spear Street, 400'/40 + 350'/35|url=http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=67546&page=36|publisher=SkyscraperPage.com|accessdate=2008-07-05]
Gallery
"For a detailed construction gallery, see "
Notes
:A. note label|note01|A|anote label|note01|A|bThe SkyscraperPage.com 300 Spear and San Francisco Project Rundown threads state The Infinity I is 400 feet (122 m) tall, as opposed to 450 feet (137 m). [http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=67546 Source.] [http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=24868 Source.]
References
ee also
*
List of tallest buildings in San Francisco External links
* [http://www.the-infinity.com/ Official Website]
* [http://www.arquitectonica.com/ Arquitectonica Firm]
* [http://www.hellermanus.com/ Heller Manus Architects]
* [http://www.tishmanspeyer.com/ Tishman Speyer Properties]
* [http://rinconhilltowers.com/infinity/ Project updates and Photos]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
