SF New Developments

John King, Chronicle Urban Design Writer Thursday, October 26, 2006 Thirty-five years after the Transamerica Pyramid seemed to top off San Francisco”s skyline once and for all, a new international competition could lead to construction of an even-taller tower near Market Street. The competition would be managed by the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, a government body working to build a transit hub near First and Mission streets to serve buses and commuter trains. It would seek a development team to build the new center — and also an adjacent tower that “is expected to be an iconic presence that will redefine the city”s skyline” and help pay for the transit project. On Friday, the Transbay board is expected to vote to proceed with the competition. “A lot of the comments we”ve heard from the public is that they want a world-class station and a world-class transit tower,” said Maria Ayerdi, executive director of the authority. “Design quality is paramount.” The idea to push beyond the once-controversial Transamerica Pyramid and its 853-foot peak gained momentum in May, when city planning officials suggested zoning changes to allow three skyscrapers in the Transbay area that would generate revenue for the project. Any changes require extensive environmental studies; however, the Transbay authority can move forward on its own site and leave the tower details for later. In the first round, where teams present their qualifications, the track record of each developer counts for less than the impression made by each team”s architect, who must show a “flexible and imaginative attitude” as well as commit to “personal involvement throughout the life of the project.” The seven-member jury includes Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic Robert Campbell of the Boston Globe, as well as three other architects and experts in transportation, engineering and real estate financing. … [continue to Original Article] E-mail John King at jking@sfchronicle.com.