# Embarcadero Park Pavilion Design Fails

> San Francisco's new Embarcadero Park pavilion looks like an airport bus shelter, not a creative urban space.
- Title: Embarcadero Park Pavilion Design Fails · Sfchronicle
- Summary: San Francisco's new Embarcadero Park pavilion looks like an airport bus shelter, not a creative urban space.
- Keywords: embarcadero park, hok architecture, san francisco, downtown development corp, bxp, public space design, urban design, pavilion design, city park, san francisco recreation and parks, mission bayfront park, fletcher studio
- Source: Sfchronicle — https://sfchronicle.com/opinion/article/embarcadero-park-san-francisco-22501183.php
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: embarcadero park, hok architecture, san francisco, downtown development corp, bxp, public space design, urban design, pavilion design, city park, san francisco recreation and parks, mission bayfront park, fletcher studio
## Embarcadero Park Pavilion Design
HOK unveiled four designs for a new pavilion at Embarcadero Park in San Francisco.
## Modest Scale Pavilion
The pavilion is 85 feet long and 40 feet tall, meant as a public passageway and outdoor performance stage.
## Airport Bus Shelter Vibe
One design looks like an airport bus shelter, lacking visual interest or connection to the city.
## Dated Design Options
Two other designs feature swoopy white forms reminiscent of 1970s spirograph toys.
## Corporate Focus
The Downtown Development Corp. board includes CEOs like Meg Whitman, prioritizing speed over creativity.
## Missed Creative Opportunity
The pavilion design ignores community feedback on skateboarding, civic engagement, and the Vaillancourt Fountain.
## Alternative Designs Exist
Surfacedesign created stormwater-managing gardens at Mission Bayfront Park using repurposed materials.
## Better Urban Examples
Chicago’s Cloud Gate and New York’s rotating art installations offer more creative public spaces.
## Call for Improvement
The city should rethink the Embarcadero Park design to better connect with community and city identity.
## Key takeaway

San Francisco's Embarcadero Park pavilion design by HOK lacks creativity and urban relevance, missing opportunities for community connection.