Oceanwide Center, San Francisco


Oceanwide Center is a mixed-use skyscraper complex under construction in the South of Market neighborhood of San Francisco, California, consisting of two towers.

Design

The taller tower, located at 50 First Street, is expected to rise and contain 34 stories of office space below 19 floors with approximately 111 residential units. The base of the tower includes a six-story tall, outdoor "urban room" of public open space. The tower will feature diagonal, exterior bracing and taper towards the top, reminiscent of the John Hancock Center in Chicago. If completed as proposed, the tower would become San Francisco's second-tallest building after Salesforce Tower, surpassing the long time record-holder, the Transamerica Pyramid.
The shorter tower, at 512 Mission Street, is planned to climb and will contain the 169-room Waldorf Astoria San Francisco hotel on the first 21 floors and approximately 154 residential units on the upper 33 floors.

History

The parcels around 50 First Street were upzoned as part of the Transit Center District Plan approved in 2012 in conjunction with the new Transbay Transit Center. The parcels were originally assembled by developer David Choo and a plan was floated in 2007 for towers as tall as designed by Renzo Piano. Choo was eventually forced to sell the property during the 2008 financial crisis.
In 2013, TMG Partners and Northwood Investors acquired the property out of bankruptcy court for. TMG and Northwood hired Foster + Partners and Heller Manus Architects to re-design the project. In 2015, Beijing-based Oceanwide Holdings acquired the property for US$296 million. A groundbreaking ceremony for the buildings was held on December 8, 2016.