Harvey Milk Plaza redesign winner announced

Out of 33 entries were submitted to the Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza, a Castro organization dedicated to reinvigorating the beleaguered plaza named after the civil rights icon, three finalists were selected.

Of those three, Curbed SF readers 51 percent voted for local firm Perkins Eastman to take top honors. Well, readers, your wishes came true. The San Francisco-based firm beat out Groundworks Office (based in Berkeley) and Kuth Ranieri Architects (SF) to helm the redesign of Harvey Milk Plaza.

“To have our hand in transforming the urban fabric of San Francisco is a true honor as architects,” said design team leads McCall Wood and Justin Skoda in a joint statement. “We feel our design allows the historically significant corner of Castro and Market Street to fit itself into a strong legacy of spaces in San Francisco for the practice of public discourse. As an individual whose spirit is deeply rooted within the City of San Francisco, Harvey Milk deserves a truly iconic place within this City and we feel our design will allow that to happen. “

The winning look will feature, among other things, a “soapbox for all” ramped amphitheater over the Castro Station’s southern entrance, allowing for activism, community events, and hanging out.

“The amphitheater will include a timeline of Milk’s life—called ‘bronze memorial thresholds’—that leads visitors through his biography and milestones of the LGBTQ civil rights movement,” notes Hoodline. “A glass monolith will sit at the ramp’s highest point, and blank thresholds will be included to reserve space for future happenings."

LED candles will dot the amphitheater, signifying the candlelight vigils that followed the night Milk and then-mayor George Moscone were assassinated in 1978,

A rainbow light element will also illuminate the station’s ceiling at the mezzanine level. More details to come after today’s official announcement.

• Harvey Milk Plaza design finalists announced [Curbed SF]
• Local Firm Wins Harvey Milk Plaza Design Competition [Hoodline]