Millennial Falls
Ecology:
The design incorporates two new constructed wetlands essential to the natural treatment of greywater: at the western edge of China Basin and atop the elevated freeway structure. For San Francisco, a city dependent on a combined sewer system, the new wetlands support the existing infrastructure. Water is treated with a filtration process of media filters and plantings at the elevated wetlands and released via waterfalls before discharge to the Bay. From the elevated wetlands, the observation deck view offers city views and a “History Walk” that tells the story of Mission Creek’s natural world.
Technology:
The Interactive Media Gallery at the mezzanine level offers opportunities for environmental multimedia artists and curated exhibitions that explore the intersection of technology, sensory and phenomenological experiences. The gallery chambers are loosely defined by solar cell fabric curtains supported by flexible framework and can be physically adjusted and digitally programmed to meet the requirements of the artist. The Gallery as well as the Park and amenities are designed as a self-sustaining landscape, utilizing PVs to gather energy for electrical and mechanical needs.
Community:
The primary objective of “Millennial Falls,” located at the heart of Mission Bay Commons Park, is to provide a district identity for the neighborhoods of Mission Bay. Home to the San Francisco Giants, UCSF’s Research Campus, the Design District, emerging biotech and media industries, six thousand units of new housing, six million square feet of new commercial and municipal facilities, this coastal enclave has emerged as a central hub at the nexus of downtown and neighborhoods south of Market. As Coit Tower is to North Beach, the Pyramid to Downtown, The Palace of Fine Art to the Marina District, Mission Bay beckons for a memorable anchor that represents, engages and expresses its community’s energy and innovative spirit of the place. Millennial Falls is a strategic urban catalyst designed to promote public engagement, sponsor new development and serve the city as a destination for gathering and recreation.
The great pleasure of a coastal city is experiencing the water’s edge. Millennial Falls Park offers a variety of defined places within the urban landscape to connect with the shoreline. The esplanade with walking and bike paths, the boardwalk and benches bridging China Basin, the skateboard park’s subterranean topography, and the dramatic structure that supports the wetlands and waterfalls, all work together to sponsor the pleasure of human exchange, and reaffirm our place and affinity with the natural and manmade environments of the Bay Area.
