The Infinity

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Coordinates: 37°47′22″N 122°23′28″W / 37.78944, -122.39111

 This article or section contains information about expected future buildings or structures.
Some or all of this information may be speculative, and the content may change as building construction begins.
For the tower in Miami, see Infinity II.
The Infinity I

The Infinity I in February 2008.
Information
Location 300 Spear Street
San Francisco
Status Under Construction
Groundbreaking 2005[1]
Opening 2008[2]
Use Residential[1]
Height
Roof 137.2 m (450 ft)[A]
Floor count 41[3]
Companies
Architect Heller-Manus Architects / Arquitectonica[3]
Contractor Webcor Builders[4]
Developer Tishman Speyer[5]
The Infinity II

The Infinity II and I (behind) in late October.
Information
Location 300 Spear Street
San Francisco
Status Under Construction (Topped out)
Groundbreaking 2005[6]
Opening 2008[6]
Use Residential[6]
Height
Roof 106.7 m (350 ft)[7]
Floor count 37[7]
Companies
Architect Heller-Manus Architects / Arquitectonica[7]
Contractor Webcor Builders[4]
Developer Tishman Speyer[5]

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.[5] 300 Spear Street will contain four buildings enclosing 640 residential units.[2]

Contents

[edit] History

The two residential projects, 300 Spear and 201 Folsom, were proposed by Tishman Speyer Properties and initially designed by Heller Manus Architects.[5] Eventually, the two projects were given approval by the Planning Commission in spite of heavy opposition.[8] 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.[9] The project was given final approval by San Francisco's Board of Supervisors on February 4, 2004.[10]

[edit] Description

[edit] Overview

The residential complex consists of four buildings with one eight and one nine story midrises and one 37 and 41 story highrise towers.[4] 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.[7] The taller highrise, the Infinity I, is set to rise 450 feet (137 m)[A] and contain 41 floors.[3] 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.[3][7] The complex is located one block inland from the Embarcadero and the San Francisco Bay.[11] Pricing for the units range from $700k-$5 million.

[edit] Design

300 Spear was originally designed by San Francisco's Heller Manus Architects.[12] The 820-unit complex featured a garden on top of the midrise towers and all four buildings were connected together.[12][13] 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 its color changed to a blue-green color which adapted a simplified concrete structure with curving walls of glass curtainwall and metal. The number of units was also reduced from 820 to 640 before construction of 300 Spear began.[2]

[edit] 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.[5] Along with the Millennium Tower and One Rincon Hill to the west and south, respectively, they will create a new highrise neighborhood in the South of Market district.

[edit] Construction history

[edit] Buried ship discovery

Construction started sometime in April, 2005 when a surface parking lot was demolished to make way for the complex.[2] Midway through the excavation process, a buried 125 foot (38 m) ship was found just to the south of Spear Street.[14] The ship was found 20 feet (6 m) below street level on fill that was once a harbor.[14] The buried ship was later identified to be the 1818 whaling ship The Candace.[15]

[edit] Current progress (2008)

Three of the buildings in Phase I, The Infinity II, the eight and nine story midrises, have all been topped out and glass has been placed on all levels of the three buildings. Phase I is nearing completion as landscaping and the final touches on Phase I are taking place.[4] Construction is progressing along for the last tower, The Infinity I.[4] Currently, the 41-story building is topped-out. Glass has been installed on floors 2 to 27 of the structure.[16]

[edit] Gallery

For a detailed construction gallery, see SF Construction Photos

Site on June 5.

A week (July 23) after the first picture of the tower crane was taken (on July 16), the tower crane has been raised a few stories and towers over the construction site for now.

The Infinity II and cladding in January.

300 Spear complex as viewed from the Millennium Tower in March.

The Infinity II and the Spear Street midrise in late-May.

The Infinity II in mid-August, with exterior cladding complete.

The Infinity I in late-October.

The Infinity I in January.

[edit] Notes

A. a b The 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). Source. Source.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b The Infinity Tower 1. SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
  2. ^ a b c d Rincon Hill on the rise Slender towers, wide walkways would transform area. San Francisco Chronicle (2005-04-18). Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
  3. ^ a b c d The Infinity I. Emporis.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
  4. ^ a b c d e THE INFINITY (300 SPEAR STREET), SAN FRANCISCO, CA. Webcor.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
  5. ^ a b c d e HELLER-MANUS TOWERS KEY TO TONE OF RINCON HILL. San Francisco Chronicle (2003-06-15). Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
  6. ^ a b c The Infinity Tower 2. SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
  7. ^ a b c d e The Infinity II. Emporis.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
  8. ^ Residential tower plans approved by S.F. agency 4 huge structures still need supervisors' nod. San Francisco Chronicle (2003-09-05). Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
  9. ^ S.F. supes OK huge Rincon high-rises 4 buildings double area housing units. San Francisco Chronicle (2004-01-28). Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
  10. ^ SAN FRANCISCO Supervisors OK Rincon Hill towers. San Francisco Chronicle (2004-02-04). Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
  11. ^ Site description based on Google Earth images.
  12. ^ a b INSIGHT: RINCONoitering: How Vancouver Ideas Do - and Do Not Help - in Shaping San Francisco's First High Density Neighborhood - Part I. ArchNewsNow (2004-01-22). Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
  13. ^ A NEW SKYLINE RINCON HILL. San Francisco Chronicle (2003-06-15). Retrieved on 2007-09-24.
  14. ^ a b SAN FRANCISCO Few clues unearthed about mystery ship buried after Gold Rush Dug up at condo project, site of old 'maritime junkyard'. San Francisco Chronicle (2005-09-08). Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
  15. ^ Experts dig up nautical past of long-buried 1818 whaler. San Francisco Chronicle (2006-01-28). Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
  16. ^ SAN FRANCISCO: The Infinity, 300 Spear Street, 400'/40 + 350'/35. SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-10.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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Tallest buildings in San Francisco
Skyscrapers over 492 ft (150 m)
Highrises over 300 ft (91 m)
50 California Street · St. Regis Museum Tower · 100 Pine Center · 45 Fremont Center · 333 Market Street · 650 California Street · 100 First Plaza · One California · San Francisco Marriott · Russ Building · PacBell Building · JP MorganChase Building · The Paramount · Providian Financial Building · Three Embarcadero Center · Two Embarcadero Center · 595 Market Street · 123 Mission Street · 101 Montgomery · Embarcadero West · California Automobile Association Building · Four Seasons Hotel · One Maritime Plaza · St. Francis Hotel · Shell Building · Westin San Francisco -- Market Street · Holiday Inn San Francisco · One Market Plaza (Steuart Tower) · 199 Fremont Street · 425 California Street · Grand Hyatt San Francisco · Equitable Life Building · Fox Plaza · InterContinental Hotel San Francisco · 101 Second Street · 120 Montgomery Street · 580 California Street · 601 California Street · Hilton San Francisco & Towers II · 450 Sutter Street · Stevenson Place · 55 Second Street · 150 California Street · 225 Bush Street · 505 Montgomery Street · Bechtel Building · California Building · The Fairmont San Francisco · 180 Montgomery Street · Central Plaza · The Summit · W Hotel San Francisco · Phillip Burton Federal Building · 555 Market Street · One Bush Plaza · San Francisco City Hall
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Future buildings
Transbay Transit Center & Tower, Renzo Piano Towers I & II · 181 Fremont Street · Sheraton Palace Hotel Residential Tower · Harbor Village Resort · 350 Mission Street · 509 Howard Street · One Rincon Hill North Tower · Treasure Island development · 201 Folsom Street I & II · 45 Lansing Street · The Californian at Rincon Hill · 340-350 Fremont Street · 555 Washington · 10th and Market · California Pacific Van Ness Hospital · 524 Howard Street