Nancy Pelosi and other dignitaries gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the San Francisco Federal Building on Monday, but after its dedication people's opinions about the modern structure varied.
The Federal Building is a slender 65-foot-wide, 18-story-high rising tower that incorporates state-of-the-art technology allowing natural light and air to enter and travel throughout the building, dramatically reducing energy consumption.
"It's a great achievement of the architect, and the building is very impressive in terms of sustainability and ventilation naturally. I love the natural air inside and I love the lobby, it looks so dramatic," said Susanne Stevens who exited the four-story annex which merges with the main tower on the southwest side of the building.
But some of the people who have worked inside the Federal Building beginning in March of this year aren't as excited; some even say that the building is dysfunctional as a workspace.
"There's just no air. The windows were supposed to open, but that hasn't worked," said Dave Daily who works inside the building. "Air circulation isn't working. It's usually warm, I noticed. Last week, the temperature inside the building was running around 80 degrees where I sit which is most unpleasant."
The Federal Building is sited to make optimal use of the winds coming from the north. A sophisticated window system captures and enables the air to flow throughout the floors. The tower's interior and lighting are managed by computerized controls. To adjust temperature, a computer opens and closes windows and operates heating elements.
"They've equalized the incoming fresh air and the temperature somewhat, at least where I'm at," said Vicky, one of the office workers at the Federal Building.
The building's innovative design and sustainable architecture were praised by experts, however. Thom Mayne, who along with his firm Morphosis designed the building, has been the recipient of numerous Progressive Architecture Awards and other design recognitions.
The Federal Building's design appears as if the south side of the structure is veiled in a thin, perforated metal "skin" whose purpose is to filter and reduce the sunlight passing through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Insiders say that the office space is overwhelmed with sunlight and that they put various things against the windows to block the incoming glare including umbrellas and black plastic bags.
"The metal panels aren't filtering the light effectively. They installed blinds for the big panels but the sunlight is above those panels by 7:30 in the morning and the light is coming through the upper panels," said Vicky.
The metal sheath that undulates from the roof of the building and wraps the entire south façade also features four large protruding bay windows. Glass fins mark the north façade, and an exterior staircase and multi-story entrance identify the narrow eastern façade.
What About the Color?
"Most buildings are grey, when you look around, even the Civic Courthouse over there is gray, and so I assume it's made of a different kind of material. But the new Federal Building isn't only grey, it's got a shine," said Stephens.
The building is located in one of the dreariest areas in central San Francisco—the area between Mission Street and United Nations Plaza where vagrants hang out at every corner. Some women who work in the building say that they are afraid to walk through that area. The plan was that by locating the new Federal Building there, it will benefit a part of the city that needs redevelopment.
"It'll help revive the whole area," said Stephens.
And while some people have different opinions about the new Federal Building's architecture and design, some experience surprise looking at the broad silhouette that is distinguishable from other office towers in the city.
"I didn't expect what I saw when I came off the bus," said the elderly Marie Harris. "It's something we've never had before in San Francisco. We need something different, and this is something very different."
Feeds