When urban renewal laws took hold in the 1950’s, city planner M. Justin Herman spearheaded a plan to redevelop the site where Embarcadero Center now stands into a mixed-use “city within a city.” David Rockefeller, John Portman, and Trammel-Crow submitted the winning proposal to develop the 8.5 acre site.
Embarcadero Center’s four office towers were built in phases, beginning in 1968 and ending in 1983. The office towers, have a daily population of 16,000.
In building two on the lobby level, this little gem is tucked away in a corner near the entry to the office towers. It is titled “Rhythm of the Metropolis”. Oil on concrete, by San Francisco artist Zheng fu Lu, painted in 2000.
I tripped over this piece, and have no information about it at all. Tucked way in a corner near the Embarcadero Cleaners on the street level of building two. It has a sister piece next to it.
This is the signature piece of the Embarcadero Center. Architect and sculptor John C. Portman, Jr. makes a statement with The Tulip, a bold concrete tulip-shaped sculpture outlined with lights that spans three levels. As you can see, it functions as a ramp from one level to another, it is in water and beautifully landscaped at the base. Co-incindentally this piece was manufactured by Western Art Stone, (a large concrete casting company, no longer in business) they also cast Jaques Overhoff’s piece at City College of San Francisco.
Just outside of Embarcadero Four walking towards the Hyatt Regency and Market Street you will come across “Mistral”, a cast bronze sculpture by Elbert Weinberg that represents the warm winds that originate in Africa and sweep upwards to southern Europe.
