San Francisco Modern

(Buildings I wish I had built).

Being homebound during the pandemic led me to become a tourist in San Francisco, and with E bike and camera, I rode the streets weekend after weekend, exploring buildings that affirm the idea of Architecture in the city.

Often hidden in plain sight, sometimes in random clusters, there is a surprisingly rich and layered heritage of modern buildings proving our connection to contemporary architectural thinking which makes me wonder why we have so lost touch with this spirit. So many current new buildings can’t make up their minds what they want to be other than parochial regionalism. It is reassuring to see architecture express ideas of making in ways that users can understand construction and intentions, and are set free to inhabit and interpret their spaces. These buildings are the antithesis to the meek wallpaper contextualism of today’s wrapping paper facades.

There are a number of tall downtown office buildings that clearly expose their construction, modularity and neutrality as expressions of generous flexible interior spaces bathed in light. As towers they seem timeless and remain contemporary, emphasizing verticality, stacked horizontality and gridded abundance.

Midcentury high-rise residential towers are spread around the city hilltops, and the direct expression of their construction and ideas of place and climate, with light filled interiors of floor to ceiling sliding glass, edged by continuous French Balconies that allow every room to connect to air. This is a dominant and recurring type anchored in an era of bold optimism now completely lost. They are ephemeral interpretations of some of the earlier wedding cake crenelated deco residential towers that dot the hills, but more open and delicate, and a sharp contrast to the current reflective glass hermetic forms that mar the sky.

Institutions often supported architecture to give significance to public places. Healthcare especially has been a sponsor of wholesome buildings at their campuses, and some churches and other assembly types anchor themselves to the city and time.

Individual houses infill lots on blocks of historic eclectic buildings in Pacific Heights, Telegraph Hill, and elsewhere, presenting essential San Francisco style without the weight of history, and light and open interiors that allow the patterns of modern domesticity to flow into each other as a recognition of contemporary living.

This is a collection of reminders of San Francisco Architecture for us working on the city today.