Public Art and Architecture from Around the World

Tag: Embarcadero

  • Light Cannons at the Ferry Building

     Ferry Building Plaza Foot of Market at the Embarcadero   These two light towers, called Light Cannons, are approximately 65 ft in height. They are located in front of the Ferry Building and serve as the focal point of the Mid-Embarcadero Improvement Project. The towers are a combination of stainless steel, structural steel and cast-in-place…

  • Pacific Bird

    Golden Gateway Embarcadero/Financial District 551 Battery Street * Pacific Bird by Seymour Lipton  1961 Seymour Lipton (1903-1986) was an American abstract expressionist sculptor. He was a member of the New York School who gained widespread recognition in the 1950s. Lipton was interested in art as an adolescent. Although his high school teachers wanted Lipton to…

  • The Embarcadero – Rincon Annex Murals

    The Embaradero Rincon Annex 98 Howard Street Panel #10 Panel #10. “Raising the Bear Flag The Bear Flag revolt established the Republic of California, one month before the United States won the territory in the Mexican War. John Charles Fremont was a prime force in instigating the revolt and William B. Ide became president of…

  • Rincon Annex Murals

    The Embarcadero Rincon Annex 98 Howard Street Panel #3 The murals in the Rincon Annex Post Office, have lived a long and very controversial life.  In 1941 the WPA held a competition for the murals, it was won by Anton Refregier.  He began work immediately and kept at it until they were finished in 1948,…

  • The Embarcadero – History of our Street Names

    The Embarcadero Looking Down and Learning History Archetypical Gold Rush San Franciscan, Sam Brannan was first in many achievements.  He arrived in Yerba Buena by sea in 1846, leading two hundred Mormon pioneers, and founding the city’s first newspaper.  He rode through the streets of San Francisco in 1848, announcing the discovery of gold for…

  • Embarcadero – History of Street Names

    The Embarcadero Continuing on our journey of “Looking Down” Quartermaster’s clerk of the Stevenson Regiment of First New York Volunteers, Edward H. Harrison came from an obscure post to occupy a respectable role in the nascent civic affairs of San Francisco, becoming Port Collector in 1848 before returning to the East in 1850.  Harrison typified…

  • Embarcadero – History of Street Names

    The Embarcadero Continuing to look down.  Vallejo Street These four are so badly worn, but this is what General Vallejo looked like It reads: Soldier, land-owner and diplomat, General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo started life as the son of a Spanish soldier, and rose from cadet to Commandante of Monterey.  From there he assumed command of…

  • Embarcadero – History of Street Names

    The Embarcadero When this is the view from the Embarcadero it is hard to look down at your feet.  If you do however, you will find some fascinating little historical tidbits.  I searched everywhere to see what organization is responsible for the following and I found nothing.  But welcome to a bit of San Francisco…

  • The Embarcadero – Sidney Walton Park

    Sydney Grant Walton, for whom the park is named, was a San Francisco banker who lived from 1901 to 1960. Reportedly he was a multitalented business- man, cultural leader and vice-chairman of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency. As the plaque outside the park states, he was “vital in the formation of the concept and development…

  • Sydney Walton Park

    This is one of the entries to Sydney Walton Park in the Embarcadero Area of San Francisco.  It sits surrounded by Jackson, Pacific, Davis and Front Streets.  This wonderful park is full of art, and history.  It is just a marvelous oasis in the middle of lots and lots of high rises.  You will also…

  • Embarcadero – Commuting

    This is our temporary Transbay Terminal.  The old one has finally been demolished.  The Transbay terminal was originally built in 1936 to handle the trains that came across the Bay Bridge into downtown San Francisco.  However, after WWII, the train lines were removed and the terminal became a bus depot.  Over the years it has…

  • Embarcadero – Fly me to the Moon

    Embarcadero at Pier 14 “Raygun Gothic Rocketship” is a temporary art installation on the Embarcadero.  The project is sponsored by the Black Rock Arts Foundation, (the Burning Man group), with support from the Port of San Francisco.  The rocket ship is a retro-futurist sort of thing, and according to the artists group “A critical kitsch…

  • The Embarcadero Ribbon

    The Embarcadero Ribbon

    The Embarcadero The Ferry Building, built in 1898, sits at the foot of Market Street. In 1953, San Francisco proposed the Embarcadero Freeway that was to connect the Bay and Golden Gate Bridges. Construction started at the Bay Bridge end; after 1.2 miles of freeway were built, neighborhood organizations began to gather and oppose the…

  • Embarcadero Interpretive Signage and Walkway

    Embarcadero Interpretive Signage and Walkway

    The Embarcadero Waterfront Transportation Project Historic and Interpretive Signage Program   * * * * * This interpretive signage program was created in 1996 and covers 2.5 miles of the Embarcadero.  The project includes 22, 13 foot high posts, vertical history stations and bronze inlays.  these metal black-and-white-striped pylons are imprinted with photographs, stories, poetry in…

  • Lou Seal at ATT Park

    Lou Seal at ATT Park

    * * Lou Seal is the official mascot of the San Francisco Giants. “Born” on July 25, 1996, Luigi Francisco Seal has been a regular part of the Giants baseball team since then. The name is a play on the name “Lucille.” Todd Schwenk, an Oakland Athletics Fan, named the mascot in a KNBR Sports…

  • The Embarcadero – Sea Change

    The Embarcadero – Sea Change

    The Embarcadero Sea Change by Mark di Suvero At Pier 40 on the lawn near the baseball park is this giant sculpture, that you can see from blocks away. Constructed in 1995 it is 70 feet tall and weights 10 tons.  The circular top moves with the wind. Marco Polo “Mark” di Suvero is an American…

  • Embarcadero – Hills Brothers Coffee Drinker

    Embarcadero – Hills Brothers Coffee Drinker

    2 Harrison Street The Embarcadero * This is the Hills Brothers Coffee Drinker.  He is located at 2 Harrison  Street in the plaza of the original Hills Brothers Coffee Building.  This sculpture was created by a dear friend of mine Spero Anargyros. (1915- 2004)  Spero finished this sculpture in 1992.  It is a 9′ tall bronze…

  • Cupid’s Span

    Cupid’s Span

    Embarcadero Foot of Folsom Street Cupids Span Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen 2002 This is the artists statement regarding this piece: “Inspired by San Francisco’s reputation as the home port of Eros, we began our project for a small park on the Embarcadero along San Francisco Bay by trying out the subject of Cupid’s stereotypical…

  • Electrified Earth

    Electrified Earth

    The Embarcadero Electrified Earth by Jill King The Cool Globes project came to San Francisco, set up in Crissy Field, in 2008.  Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet, is a public art exhibition designed to raise awareness of solutions to climate change.  Cool Globes grew out of a commitment at the Clinton Global…

  • The Embarcadero – Aurora

    The Embarcadero – Aurora

    The Embarcadero Aurora by Ruth Asawa Ruth Asawa is an American artist, who is nationally recognized for her wire sculpture. Ruth, at the age of 16, along with her family, was interned in Rohwer camp in Rohwer, Arkansas at a time when it was feared the people of Japanese descent on the West Coast would…

  • Honoring the Workers

    Honoring the Workers

    Corner of Mission and Steaurt An Injury to One is an Injury to All – The rallying cry of the Wobblies.  That is the name of this sculpture found on the corner of Spear and Mission Streets, San Francisco. The brass plaque that accompanies it reads “In memory of Howard Sperry and Nick Bordoise, who gave…

  • The Abraham Lincoln Brigade

    The Abraham Lincoln Brigade

    Justin Herman Plaza Embarcadero American Lincoln Brigade Memorial Painted Steel, Onyx, Concrete and Olive Trees   In 1936, General Francisco Franco led a military uprising to overthrow the elected government of Spain. Forty thousand people went to Spain to fight for democracy. The 2,700 Americans who joined the fight were known as the Abraham Lincoln…

  • The Embarcadero and The San Francisco Bay Trail

    The Embarcadero and The San Francisco Bay Trail

    The Embarcadero The San Francisco Bay Trail is a bicycle and pedestrian trail that will eventually allow continuous travel around the shoreline of San Francisco Bay. As of 2011, approximately 310 miles of trail have been completed. Twenty six miles of the trail lies in the City of San Francisco one half of which is…

  • Vaillancourt Fountain

    Vaillancourt Fountain

    Vaillancourt Fountain – the controversy in Justin Herman plaza – San Francisco. This fountain has been the center of controversy since the day it was installed.  Created by Armand Vaillancourt in 1971, it is actually entitled “Québec libre!” It is representative of the relationship between Vaillancourt’s art and his political convictions. It is a huge…

  • Movement – The First 100 Years

    Movement – The First 100 Years

    Embarcadero Center Susan Bierman Park Drumm Street Movement: The First 100 Years – by Man Lin Choi The First 100 Years, is also known as the Korean Monument. It was created to symbolize the bond between our two countries. On May 22, 1983, the sculpture was donated to the City and County of San Francisco by…

  • Sun Swarm at the Exploratorium

    Sun Swarm at the Exploratorium

    Pier 15/17 The Embarcadero San Francisco’s Exploratorium has moved to a new and much bigger location.  This new location is allowing lots of outdoor exhibits that anyone can enjoy without paying the entry fee. This fun piece is titled Sun Swarm and is by Chris Bell. According to the Exploratorium’s website: This is an elevated…

  • Have a seat at Pier 7 in San Francisco

    Have a seat at Pier 7 in San Francisco

    Pier 7 Embarcadero Bay Bench by Steve Gillman in 1996 Sunset Red Granite and Bronze These two identical sunset red granite benches with curved bronze grill insets, are reminiscent of ship’s hatch covers. Steve Gillman received a BA from San Francisco State College and and MFA in sculpture from the University of Oregon. His work is…

  • Levi Plaza Brings the Sierras to San Francisco

    Levi Plaza Brings the Sierras to San Francisco

    1155 Battery The Embarcadero In 1982, the Haas family (heirs to  Levi Strauss) were looking to build a new corporate campus for the Levi Corporation. They called upon Lawrence Halprin to design the plaza for the campus. While prolific, Halprin is best known for Sea Ranch in California and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington D.C. Sometimes referred to as…

  • The Embarcadero Belt Railroad Engine House

    The Embarcadero Belt Railroad Engine House

    The Embarcadero Belt Railroad Engine House Lombard, Sansome and the Embarcadero According to the National Park Service: The State Belt Railroad of California was a shortline that served San Francisco’s waterfront until the 1990s and played an important role in World War II. Its tracks extended the length of the Embarcadero from south of Market…

  • Skygate

    Skygate

    The Embarcadero Skygate by Roger Barr This is not the first time, and I am sadly sure, it will not be the last, when researching an artist I find the information in their obituary.  The San Francisco Chronicle carried Roger Barr’s obituary on January 14, 2000 and it was so eloquent I will simply repost…