CONSERVATORY AT 1 SANSOME ST.
ARCHITECTURE:
Stephen MacCracken (Principal)
Daniel Robinson (Principal & Project Lead)
Kurt Fausset (Designer)
Yin Liu (Designer)
Devin MacCracken (Designer)
CONTRACTOR:
Barker Pacific Group
CONSULTANTS:
Tipping Structural Engineers (Structural)
Electrolight (Lighting)
PHOTOGRAPHY:
The existing conservatory space at the corner of Sutter and Sansome Streets was a result of expanding the building use of these spaces while preserving the original Anglo Paris bank building when the One Sansome high rise building was proposed in the early 80s. The two buildings met awkwardly internally and the provided public open space was under used, open to the elements, cold and attracted pigeons and other urban animals.
The ownership group had a vision of repurposing the interior ground floor space to a tenant amenity space, enclosing the public open space while allowing full public access during the day, and dynamically connecting the high rise lobby to the conservatory. In addition, creating a new food oriented tenant space and finding a suitable tenant to provide the energy the conservatory needed was a priority goal for the success of the space.
The original layout of the conservatory area had eight tall arched openings that were open to the outside environment. Often windy and cold, our goal was to meet the original approval requirements of allowing unrestrained public access during daytime and also meet the operational requirements of being able to be secured when not in use. The solution was to infill the arches with glazing and provide large single panel retractable glazed doors in four of the openings. At almost 21’ tall, these doors are engineered and installed seamlessly with the exterior historic facade and allow the arches to be fully open across their original 12’ width during day time hours
Newly cut tall glazed openings result in a much improved connection between the high rise lobby and the conservatory. A tenant space now housing the Holbrook House restaurant and bar (designed by Jeff Schlarb Design Studio) replaces where the awkward secondary connection used to be and spills out into the conservatory on a new curved podium area designed by MRA to delineate conservatory and bar uses. After the conservatory has fulfilled its daytime public operation, it can be used for private functions, parties, or other celebrations with full support of the restaurant and kitchen.