Pier 70: Preserving History and Elevating the Future
Before the Pier 70 project began, developer Brookfield Properties and the Port of San Francisco agreed that a plan was needed to both preserve the area's historical heritage and withstand environmental challenges such as sea-level rise. Building 12, once a center for steel sheet production and cutting for shipbuilding, was central to this vision. Thus, the design team had to adopt an approach that was both innovative and respectful of the past.
A Radical Step Against Sea-Level Rise
There are two main methods to combat sea-level rise in coastal areas: raising the land or constructing protective walls along the coast. For the Pier 70 project, the first method was chosen, and the site was raised approximately 3 meters. While this could be easily resolved for new buildings, Building 12, being historical, required a different solution. After the land was raised, the ground floor of the building would be 3 meters below the new grade. To preserve its historical integrity, an extraordinary decision was made: Building 12 would also be raised.
A Renovation Respectful of Historical Fabric
One of Building 12's most valuable features was its original corrugated metal cladding, developed over time. The design team realized that removing this cladding would create an irreversible loss. Therefore, the cladding was preserved in place, and the walls were reconstructed in reverse order.
Additionally, the massive steel columns that divided the building into three bays were carefully preserved. These columns, measuring 4.5x2 feet, were fixed to their original base plates. The height of each column was individually measured to ensure the preservation of its original alignment during the building's elevation.
Precision in Engineering
Over time, ground settlement had caused millimeter differences in the column base plates. These differences required significant engineering precision during the building's elevation. The team managed to retain traces of its industrial past in the modern structure by leaving the base plates, rivets, and bolts visible.
A Balance Towards the Future
The renovated Building 12 will house manufacturers and artisans in the future.
The patinated texture of the original structure blends with modern curtain walls, uniting past and future under one roof. The massive red entrance portals pay homage to the historical paint tone. When visitors enter the building, the thin trace of the elevator band located just below eye level will remind them of the building's historical layers.
Pier 70's approach proves that a historical structure can not only be preserved but also revitalized—seamlessly blending the traces of the past with the design philosophy of the future.
