Glenn is the visionary behind the design of Four Seasons Private Residences at 706 Mission, San Francisco. A Bay Area resident, he’s a Partner at Handel Architects, an award-winning architecture and design firm based in New York and renowned for creating buildings that serve as catalysts for positive urban and social change. Glenn’s projects have received worldwide recognition, but he is especially inspired by the possibilities of this unique project.
Q: What was your vision as the Lead Architect of Four Seasons Private Residences at 706 Mission, San Francisco?
A: Using the historic Aronson Building (which anchors the property) as a starting point, I set out to create a sophisticated Park Avenue type of residential building that’s very different for San Francisco. I wanted to bring 1930’s-era craftsmanship back. This would not be just another glass tower. I looked at the Aronson Building and also the Pacific Bell Building nearby and integrated that level of craftsmanship into a more modern, even iconic version of those historic structures.
Q: What specifically makes Four Seasons Private Residences at 706 Mission, San Francisco so different for this city?
A: We used stone as cladding for one thing, which is very unusual here. 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. The undulating stone façade provides a craftlike element; the layers of stone and glass create a rhythmic flow and really bring a sense of warmth.
Q: What about the residences themselves?
A: They’re very large and reflect the pre-war style. Some are 3,200 sq. ft….3,800…even 4,200. They’re sized like grand estate homes, and there are only four per floor. In your main living areas you still get the corner views, but you don’t feel like you’re totally dwelling in a fishbowl because most of the living space is private and protected. Yet you feel like you’re hovering above the gardens. It’s a very distinctive, boutique experience.
Q: What sort of emotional response are you going for?
This building sits almost within the Yerba Buena Gardens, so that alone creates quite a response. It also sits in the center of the museum district, so you get that sense of importance, that everything revolves around it. From the perspective of the residents’ approach, the Aronson Building feels like a jewel. Then you look up and the tower becomes like a sculptural element rising above the building to meet the sky; it’s a very moving perspective that makes the building feel like a work of art in itself. It really makes a statement.
