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 become nothing more than a run down homeless refuge. I am all for their tearing down the old one, and I am all for building a new one, but I am not sold on the new ultra modern design to come.
The new Transbay terminal will take years to build. It has been designed by Pelli Clark Pelli Architects. The plan is for a 5.4 acre rooftop garden, 1 million square feet of space, 100 foot high windows and 11 transit agencies. We shall see.
In the meantime, this is our temporary station. I really love this, clean open, easy to navigate. Granted, can be a tad wet and cold in the winter, but hey, this isn’t Chicago.
I agree with you on both points. The temporary terminal reminds me of the old Greyhound depot where the new Federal building now stands. It was a lovely way to arrive in San Francisco back in the mid-70s. I hope the “new Transbay” plan falls through and we stick with the temporary terminal — probably with some modifications. I’m not holding my breath for either Caltrain or High Speed Rail at 1st and Mission.