Yerba Buena’s upcoming Four Seasons tower launches residential sales

Renderings by Steelblue, courtesy of Glodow Nead Communications

The Four Seasons Private Residences at 706 Mission, located across from Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, takes a cue from its neighbor, the Ritz-Carlton Club and Residences on Market Street. Both structures use facadism—i.e., where the exterior of an old building is used as part of a new building being constructed next to or on top of it.

The execution can vary, but the practice does allow for an old building to be repurposed and saved from demolition, which is good for a city that leans headfirst into nostalgia. It’s also great in the case of the circa-1903 Aroson Building, which will be used as the front of the new tony residential tower.

Noted for its Chicago school-style architecture, the 10-story Aronson Building survived the 1906 earthquake and fire. After a recent and extensive renovation by Handel Architects, the building looks much as it did back in the day. The interiors are now in the process of being altered to allow for residential lofts on levels five through ten, as well as the upcoming Mexican Museum on levels two through four.

Renderings by Steelblue, courtesy of Glodow Nead Communications

A new 43-story, 510-foot tower, currently in progress, will adjoin the 1903 building. The new units will come with floor-to-ceiling glass windows and all of the luxe amenities typical of new high-rise living. (Some of the units even have bathroom with windows, the unicorn of high-rise living in SF.)

“There’s a carved-out stone element to the exterior, combined with glass corners which, by the way, give every unit a glass corner in their living room and dining room,” says lead architect Glenn Rescalvo. “The undulating stone facade provides a craft-like element; the layers of stone and glass create a rhythmic flow and really bring a sense of warmth.”

Rescalvo goes on to say he wants to bring a “Park Avenue-type of residential building” to San Francisco, noting, “This would not be just another glass tower.”

We shall see! San Francisco remains a city awash in newfangled glass towers. Any break in this architectural style would indeed be a refreshing break.

And with that, sales recently launched for condos inside the impending Four Seasons tower. Pricing for residences begin at $2.5 million, while the penthouse residences are priced in the $15 million to $25 million range.

The building is slated for completion in 2020.

Renderings by Steelblue, courtesy of Glodow Nead Communications