Design Type:  Architecture

Designer:  Olle Lundberg

San Francisco is a unique place, full of sights and experiences that singularly belong to its identity. Importantly, several of those signature elements are symbols of transportation—the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, the Ferry Building, and of course the Cable Car. These icons define the unique physical character that is so much of San Francisco’s magic. The design of the next generation of bus shelters is an opportunity to create an object that celebrates function, is visually arresting, and specific to San Francisco. It is our hope that our design is a fulfillment of this opportunity. The SFMTA selected our shelter from 35 others. Currently, five have been installed throughout the city; 1,200 will be installed over the next five years. During the design process, the shelter evolved from four specific challenges: function, structure, enclosure, and symbol. FUNCTION While on the surface, the function seems simple—to provide a recognizable shelter for patrons waiting for the bus, it is, in fact, deceptively complex. The design needs to accommodate three different sizes without losing its character and proportion. San Francisco is a city of hills, so the design must visually work on both sloped and flat sites. Issues regarding seating, information signage, green construction, and advertising need to be addressed. Our design is modular in nature, expanding from two panels to four depending on the site, without needing to change the vertical or horizontal structural components, thereby retaining the scale and proportion of the individual components as well as the overall sense of composition. Each module can step in height, enabling the structure to accommodate a sloping site condition. San Francisco is at the forefront of sustainable design—the bus shelters are an opportunity to showcase this. During material selection, durability and sustainable design principles were carefully considered. The shelter structure is made from 70% reclaimed steel. The lighting is high-efficiency fluorescent for the information panels and LEDs for the canopy. The canopy stands as a symbol of green design, and is, itself, fabricated using 40% post-industrial polycarbonate with incorporated solar cells. During the day, the harnessed solar energy provides power for the shelter’s “next bus” LED display and “push to talk” function (which announces the displayed information aloud for the visually impaired). Excess energy is fed back into the grid. The proprietary Building Integrated Photovoltaic technology used to make the canopy material was specially developed for our design by 3Form, a plastics manufacturer/fabricator in collaboration with Konarka, a company that produces photovoltaic film. We hope that this new product will later be incorporated into other green projects. But perhaps most importantly, as designers, we strongly believe that the “greenest” structure one can build is a beautiful one that still feels timeless in 20 years. It is our hope that these shelters become a lasting part of San Francisco’s unique visual heritage. The seating needs to not detract from the design; it should appear integral and graphically very simple. We cantilevered the seats off the panel structure, avoiding additional vertical elements. The subtle convex curve of the seat’s top prevents moisture and litter from collecting, while also discouraging people from lying down on it. On sloping sites the design enables the seats to step with the grade, creating a striking visual composition that will be very responsive to San Francisco’s topography. Both ends of the shelter are backlit information panels. A narrow one with public information opens up the structure in the direction of approaching traffic. The other panel carries advertising, and is inserted between two cruciform columns that help frame the poster image. At night, having the two ends illuminated will fill the enclosure with light, providing security and visual identity. Overall, the new shelters are roomier than their predecessors, have more green features, provide more information, and wireless Internet access. STRUCTURE For the structural system, we decided to use a bolted-together assembly comprised primarily of galvanized steel angles and stainless steel bolts, visually recalling the assembled structure of the city’s bridges. The galvanized finish weathers to a soft gray matte over time, which will contrast nicely with the more reflective finishes of the panels and canopy. On Market Street, the shelter design is slightly altered in order to mark the historic corridor. The shelters have amber canopies, and are articulated in stainless steel with bronze fasteners. Much of the architectural detailing on Market Street, such as windows, clocks, and hardware is in bronze, so this will provide a visual link to that architectural tradition. The amber will pair nicely with the surrounding brick pavers and facades. ENCLOSURE For the back panels, which along with the back-lit side panels complete the enclosure, we decided upon tempered plate glass with a laminated-on frit pattern. In general, glass panels seem to have worked well in the current generation of bus shelters, providing transparency along with durability. But we have included a graduated dot pattern, going from almost opaque at the bottom to fully transparent at the top. An homage to our famous San Francisco Fog, the patterning helps break up the panels, so they are less of a blank canvass for graffiti, and also helps mask acid etching on the glass. SYMBOL The canopy is the visual signature of the design. It is an undulating translucent plane of color, which is lit from below by two lines of LED lights hidden on the horizontal beams. The shape recalls a seismic shock wave, a pattern of surf, or even just a ribbon fluttering in the wind. Perhaps most importantly, the form connotes motion…a movement across space. The translucent canopy glows in the sun, harnessing its energy, and then utilizing that energy to provide needed amenities. It is our hope that we have created an iconic form that will become a symbol of San Francisco and its municipal bus system. We believe that the design is particular to who we are and the special place we inhabit.