Tall & Urban News

OMA has completed a 56-story glass tower in San Francisco’s Transbay District, which contains a combination of condominium residences and apartment rentals. The project, titled The Avery, was led by OMA’s New York-based partners Shohei Shigematsu and Jason Long. In conjunction with the opening of the development, the interior of the building’s 4,312-square-foot (400.6-square-meter) penthouse has also been unveiled—a residence priced at US$15.9 million.

The opening of The Avery was announced by Related California, the West Coast affiliate of Related Companies—the largest privately-owned real estate firm in the United States. The project is OMA’s first high-rise in San Francisco and its first ground-up development in the Bay Area. The scheme comprises a 576-foot (175.6-meter) tower that sits on top of two podium buildings designed by Fougeron Architecture. Intended to animate the street, a collection of dining and retail partners is found at ground level, with floors 2–32 containing luxury apartment rentals.

At the 33rd floor, above the datum established by the adjacent buildings, the south face of the building is sculpted with a series of steps or crenelations. This gesture maximizes views of the bay from within, and creates corner windows with views east to the Bay Bridge that would otherwise only face perpendicularly north or south. The tapering of the tower and stepped façades create distinct and diverse views of the tower from all sides, while expressing a more human scale from afar.

“The Transbay District is changing into a place where San Francisco’s future is developing. Our building is centrally located, so we wanted the site to be both a connector and a destination,” said OMA’s Jason Long.

“We are thrilled to be completing our first tower on the West Coast. The Avery is shaped to weave together multiple scales and optimize views out to the city and bay,” said Shohei Shigematsu, partner at OMA.

The building’s 118 condominium residences start on the 33rd floor, with the Jay Jeffers-designed penthouse located on the 56th story. The interiors, including the building’s 30,000 square feet (2,787 square meters) of amenities, has been designed by New York firm Clodagh. On-site amenities include an Equinox-curated fitness center, a 60-foot (18.3-meter) indoor lap pool, a professional-grade demonstration kitchen, private formal dining room, media lounge and game room, business center, an outdoor terrace, pet spa, and 24-hour valet parking.

“Today marks a significant milestone as we celebrate the opening of The Avery and the debut of our Jay Jeffers-designed penthouse,” said Gino Canori, executive vice president and chief development officer at Related California. “With its world-class architecture, meticulously designed residences, unparalleled amenities, and Related’s signature service, The Avery embodies the city’s next influential chapter—bringing together its residents and community and establishing a new standard for luxury living in San Francisco.”

Available residences are priced from US$1.7 million for one bedroom, from US$2.5 million for two bedrooms, and from US$3.7 million for three bedrooms. Available apartments are priced from US$3,750 a month for studios, US$4,795 a month for one-bedrooms, and US$6,695 a month for two-bedrooms. Move-ins are now underway, and closings will commence next month.

For more on this story, go to Design Boom.