Art at One Market Street

1 Market Street
The Embarcadero

San Francisco has many laws regarding open space and art work. This piece sits just inside the doors of 1 Market Street. Both pieces of this installation are available to view through the windows, or are available to see up close between 7:00 am and 6:30 pm.

This installation is part of the POPOS and the 1% for Art programs.

Privately-owned public open spaces (POPOS) are publicly accessible spaces in forms of plazas, terraces, atriums, small parks, and even snippets that are provided and maintained by private developers. In San Francisco, POPOS mostly appear in the Downtown office district area. Prior to 1985, developers provided POPOS under three general circumstances: voluntarily, in exchange for a density bonus, or as a condition of approval. The 1985 Downtown Plan created the first systemic requirements for developers to provide publicly accessible open space as a part of projects in C-3 Districts. The goal was to “provide in the downtown quality open space in sufficient quantity and variety to meet the needs of downtown workers, residents and visitors.”

The Downtown Plan also established the “1% Art Program”. This requirement, governed by Section 429 of the Planning Code, provides that construction of a new building or addition of 25,000 square feet or more within the downtown C-3 district, triggers a requirement that provide public art that equals at least 1% of the total construction cost. Beginning January 1, 2013, public art will be required beyond the traditional downtown for non-residential projects within South of Market, DTR and certain EN and C-2 zoning districts.

Float by Mark Lere – Metal/Bronze

Mark Lere was born in LaMoure, ND in 1950.  He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Metropolitan State College, in Denver, Colorado, and a Master of Fine Arts from UC Irvine. Language, used in a title or as part of a piece, is an important element in his work. He currently lives and works in the Los Angeles area.