A transportation building pretending to be a park—San Francisco’s most ambitious piece of downtown infrastructure.
Redevelopment plan for neighborhood in San Francisco.
Visitor Guide
Go up to the rooftop park (Salesforce Park) and walk its full length; then drop back to street level to feel the building’s city-block scale.
From the east end of Salesforce Park, late afternoon for tower reflections; for the big shot, photograph the park’s linear axis at golden hour.
Salesforce Park is public and free; the transit center concourses are public. Some areas/events may have hours or closures; no ticket for the public realm.
The ‘garden on top’ isn’t an afterthought: it’s an urban strategy to buy public love for hard infrastructure (and to monetize air-rights towers).
1–2 hours
Design & Structure
Designed as infrastructure-first architecture: long-span concourses, bus decks, and a load-bearing roof landscape coordinated via BIM and complex staging, with the district plan enabling adjacent high-rise development.
Concrete and steel for the transit structure; planted soils and hardscape above. The material contrast is the concept: heavy logistics under a civic roof-garden.
Moving transit loads below and a substantial public park above demand serious structural capacity and vibration control—engineering makes the ‘park’ feel effortless.
See Together
Buildings that pair well with San Francisco Transbay development — they're nearby or share a compelling architectural conversation.
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Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center
Minneapolis Central Library
Overture Center for the Arts
Pacific Design Center
Clorox Building
National Museum of Art, Osaka
Nearby in San Francisco
Contemporary Jewish Museum
California Academy of Sciences
De Young Museum
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Wild Civility
JPMorgan Chase Building (San Francisco)
Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed San Francisco Transbay development?+
San Francisco Transbay development was designed by César Pelli. It is located in San Francisco, United States.
Where is San Francisco Transbay development located?+
San Francisco Transbay development is located in San Francisco, United States. Its coordinates are 37.7899°, -122.3970°.
Can I visit San Francisco Transbay development?+
San Francisco Transbay development is a real building in San Francisco that can be viewed from the outside. Check local information for interior access and visiting hours. Use the Parametric Atlas walking tour feature to plan a route that includes this building.