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Set atop the seventh floor of this Embarcadero Building
is a new rooftop garden which echoes the building's
simple geometric relationships. While strongly influenced
by the building's architecture, the primary inspiration
came from the abstract works of the DeStijl movement.
The garden is strongly articulated by patterned blocks
of different materials, colors and textures, with lawns,
herbaceous plants, granite, concrete, glass and bronze
weaving vertically and horizontally over the rooftop
surface. Granite is used in abstract strips, demarcating
the main walking area, which floats in a surface field
of concrete paving. Paving is set on a foam pedestal
system to minimize the weight.
Special considerations including weight limitations,
drainage, and plant material on the rooftop structure,
required seamless collaboration between the landscape
architect, architect, and engineer. A particular challenge
was to minimize the effect of the wind on the garden
- a climatic condition familiar in San Francisco. Specially
designed multi-layered glass windscreens were designed
and intergrated into the overall pattern of the garden.
The plant palette was selected
to ensure a continuous bloom cycle from spring through
autumn. The rich textures and strong forms of the foliage
will offset flowering plants during dormant months.
With views of the San Francisco Bay, the garden will
be utilized and enjoyed throughout the year. |
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