See what the Mayor says about 'dumbing down of quality' in architectural design in SF.
The proposed 51 new condos at 55 Francisco would be 'dumbing down of quality'.
Not only is the architectural design of the complex incompatible with the historic North Waterfront neighborhood, it is the cheapest of veneer materials and lackluster design of no distinct style. There is no thought other than maximizing profits and minimizing costs.
We must stop the destruction of our historic neighborhoods for more high-end, condos and huge developer profits.
The proposed 51 new condos at 55 Francisco would be 'dumbing down of quality'.
Not only is the architectural design of the complex incompatible with the historic North Waterfront neighborhood, it is the cheapest of veneer materials and lackluster design of no distinct style. There is no thought other than maximizing profits and minimizing costs.
We must stop the destruction of our historic neighborhoods for more high-end, condos and huge developer profits.
Such comments are a veiled critique of Newsom's predecessor, Willie Brown -- who is credited with pushing along projects such as the restoration of City Hall and the Ferry Building, but let formal planning lapse while developers maneuvered projects through loopholes in city guidelines.
"The bar fell very low. It became all about a return on investment rather than an investment in San Francisco," Newsom said. "Now the idea is to ... hold some of our friends in the development community more accountable for the quality of their product and the architectural merit."
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Mayor widens vision to urban architecture
He doesn't want a 'dumbing down of quality' in design
John King, Chronicle Urban Design Writer
Friday, December 9, 2005
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who has spent much of his first two years dealing with issues such as crime, single-sex marriage and homelessness, is now taking on a more rarefied topic: architecture.
He takes potshots at predecessors who allowed "a dumbing down of quality." He says developers should be held responsible for how their buildings look, and he wants the city to be known for new landmarks as well as old favorites -- even if some people cringe at what they see.
Two things propel Newsom's budding interest in design -- the critically lauded but controversial makeover of the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum and the aggressive example set by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, who has made urban design a centerpiece of his administration.
"We've played it safe for too long," Newsom said in an interview this week. "The visual aspects of the city, the exterior realm, need to invite and excite and illuminate and challenge. ... Bring on the criticism. I'm ready for the outrage."
He probably will make similar comments before the city's chapter of the American Institute of Architects at a sold-out luncheon today that is billed as a chance to hear Newsom "address current building and planning developments affecting the city."
Most mayors don't talk about architecture. Not only are other issues more pressing, but the definition of "good" design is notoriously subjective -- especially in San Francisco, where many residents resent anything that looks like it was built after 1930.
Even praise of a new building can backfire. Newsom last month described the 55- and 45-story One Rincon towers as evidence of "a renewed focus on the quality of design," but their seismic stability is being challenged by city engineers.
At the One Rincon groundbreaking, Newsom went beyond the typical mayoral rhetoric touting job creation or social benefits. He said "smart planning and elegant design" would be a hallmark of his administration, complaining that "there's been a dumbing-down of quality in this city, and there's no excuse."
Such comments are a veiled critique of Newsom's predecessor, Willie Brown -- who is credited with pushing along projects such as the restoration of City Hall and the Ferry Building, but let formal planning lapse while developers maneuvered projects through loopholes in city guidelines.
"The bar fell very low. It became all about a return on investment rather than an investment in San Francisco," Newsom said. "Now the idea is to ... hold some of our friends in the development community more accountable for the quality of their product and the architectural merit."
The mayor is a particular fan of the new de Young that opened in October, a copper-clad structure topped by a slab-like tower.
"I love it," he said. "There's an irreverence in the design, and there's a contextual element that's challenging as well in a park setting. I never appreciated the design more than when I was in a helicopter and looked down. Phenomenal. Whoa ... I just think it's spectacular."
And if people don't like it, the fifth-generation city native tells them to, in essence, lighten up.
"You know what? I'm one of those love and hate people," Newsom said. "I'm over the like and dislike ... I want to challenge people, and that's what urban centers should be all about."
Newsom admires the impact that longtime Chicago Mayor Daley has made in areas such as street beautification and larger civic projects such as Millennium Park. That 24-acre extravaganza near Lake Michigan includes a 33-foot-high, 110-ton bean-shaped sculpture that people can walk underneath.
"I love what Chicago has done. ... I go to Millennium Park, and I pull my hair out," Newsom said. "It's frustrating we're not doing anything like that."
San Francisco mayors can do only so much. Term limits restrict the maximum time in office to eight years. Many city departments act as semi-autonomous fiefdoms no matter who sits in Room 200 at City Hall.
One former planning director suggests the real legacy of a mayor comes with the direction that gets set, rather than personal taste.
"The biggest single thing a mayor can do is awfully simple -- he or she must want, and desire, and insist on good professional city planning," says Allan Jacobs, San Francisco's top planner from 1967 to 1975. "You've got to think about the long haul."
Newsom has moved in this direction by including money in his budgets to fill 20 empty staff positions in the Department of Planning and hire an additional 11 planners. Within his office, meanwhile, there is now a Director of City Greening -- a post modeled on one of Daley's top officials.
The ever-politic Newsom is quick to stress that his desire for provocative buildings doesn't mean disrupting the look of older neighborhoods, especially those on the west side of the city where he drew much of his support in the 2003 campaign.
In the interview, he also dodged a request to name some recent eyesores by local developers.
"I'm not about to go there," he said with a laugh. "That wouldn't be fair."
E-mail John King at jking@sfchronicle.com .
See what John King says about
Rosenberg's first disasterous try at
residential development in SF.
Rosenberg's first disasterous try at
residential development in SF.