San Francisco is known for its charming Victorian architecture and iconic structures like Coit Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge, but it also has a fair amount of new and recent starchitect-designed buildings that don't deserve to be overlooked. A number of buildings by celebrated architects like Thom Mayne and Herzog & de Meuron have already been built, while others, like Foster + Partners' 50 First Street or Cesar Pelli's Transbay Tower are still under construction or on the drawing boards. Here now, a handy map regrouping projects, both built and in planning, by big-name architects in San Francisco. Know of any future projects designed by famed architects that don't appear in today's feature? Drop us a line or let us know in the comments. Without further ado, a map of 13 starchitect-designed buildings in the city by the bay.
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Mapping 13 Starchitect-Designed Buildings in San Francisco
de Young Museum
The De Young Museum, completed in 2005, was designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron in partnership with Fog + Chan. Herzog & de Meuron also designed the Beijing National Stadium as well as the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.
California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, was completed in 2008. The museum features a massive green roof, an indoor rainforest, and the world's deepest coral reef exhibit.
San Francisco Federal Building
The San Francisco Federal Building is a deconstructivist structure designed by Thom Mayne of Morphosis Architecture. The LEED-silver building was completed in 2007.
Contemporary Jewish Museum
Polish architect Daniel Libeskind designed the distinctive building that houses the Contemporary Jewish Museum in downtown San Francisco. The building opened in 2008, and totals over 63,000 square feet. Libeskind also designed the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, as well the Jewish Museum of Berlin.
SFJazz Center
The LEED-Gold certified SF JAZZ center, which opened in 2013, was designed by Mark Cavagnero Associates. The building received an honor award from AIA SF.
50 First Street
Foster + Partners of Great Britain are designing two massive new towers right across from the future Salesforce Tower in downtown San Francisco. The buildings will total over 600 and 800 feet, but official designs have yet to be revealed. Foster + Partners designed the Gherkin in the City of London, and are also behind Apple's futuristic new Silicon Valley HQ.
950-974 Market Street
Bjarke Ingels Group is designing a transformative project in Mid-Market that includes a new hotel, 316 residential units, retail and a new home for the 950 Center for Arts & Education. The building is being developed by San Francisco-based Group I.
SFMOMA Expansion
A Snøhetta-designed expansion that will more than double the amount of exposition space at SFMOMA is currently under construction. The new building is set to open in 2016, and will feature multiple balconies with breathtaking views of downtown.
Salesforce Tower
Salesforce Tower, by Cesar Pelli of Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, is now under construction at 415 Mission Street. The 1070 foot building will be finished in 2018.
Folsom & Spear Tower
Chicago-based architect Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang will design a new residential tower for Tishaman Speyer where surface parking lots and warehouses currently stand. Gang's Aqua Tower in Chicago (pictured) proves that residential buildings don't have to be bland.
Transbay Block 8
Rem Koohaas is designing a 550 foot residential tower for Related California on Transbay Block 8. If built, the skyscraper will be the dutch architect's first building in San Francisco. A construction schedule has not yet been set.
Apple Store
Foster + Parters are designing the Apple store that will soon grace the corner of Post and Stockton in Union Square. The building will feature massive sliding glass doors that will open the store to the street.
One Van Ness
One Van Ness is the work of New York-based architect Richard Meier. The proposed residential tower will be just shy of 400 feet and will completely transform a downtrodden corner at Market and Van Ness. Meier also designed the famous J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
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