In April 2014, the final piece of a four-part architectural puzzle snapped into place at the corner of Howard and First Streets, completing a vision that had been in motion for over a decade. Foundry Square stands as a unique urban experiment in San Francisco, where four separate ten-story buildings do not merely sit near one another but actively frame a shared public space. Unlike typical office complexes that turn inward or create private courtyards, these structures were designed to create a unified public square at their intersection. The design team, including STUDIOS Architecture and landscape architect SWA Group, utilized dual-glaze glass walls to ensure transparency, allowing the interior life of the buildings to be visible from the street and vice versa. This architectural choice established an arcade that blurs the boundary between the private office world and the public realm, a concept that was revolutionary when the first phase opened in 2003.
Phases of Construction
The realization of Foundry Square was not a single event but a staggered process that spanned from 2003 to 2014, reflecting the volatile nature of the San Francisco real estate market. The project began with Foundry Square II at 405 Howard Street and Foundry Square IV at 500 Howard Street, both completed in 2003 by developer Wilson Equity Office. These initial structures set the tone for the complex, featuring mixed-use spaces that combined office environments with ground-floor retail and public amenities. The third building, Foundry Square I at 400 Howard Street, followed in 2007, but the final piece, Foundry Square III at 505 Howard Street, faced significant delays. Tishman Speyer acquired the entitlements for this last building from Wilson Meany Sullivan in April 2012, breaking ground later that year and finally completing the structure in April 2014. This long gestation period meant that the complex evolved over more than a decade, with each phase adapting to changing economic conditions and architectural trends.The Art of the Square
At the heart of the complex lies a deliberate effort to integrate public art and landscape design into the urban fabric, transforming a simple intersection into a destination. The four open corners of the buildings form a larger, unified public square that features tree bosques, over-scaled pots, and ground-floor cafes designed to encourage lingering. A centerpiece of this design is Richard Deutsch's stainless steel sculpture, Time Signature, which stands as a visual anchor for the space. The landscape architecture by SWA Group earned the ASLA Northern California Chapter Merit Award in 2006, recognizing the successful integration of greenery and hardscape into a dense urban environment. This focus on public space was intended to create a sense of community and openness, contrasting with the often enclosed nature of traditional office towers. The result is a space that functions as a public square, inviting pedestrians to move through the buildings and engage with the art and architecture that define the corner.