It is somewhat difficult to have a meaningful discussion — online or off — without the aide of images and renderings of the design in question. The City has not yet released any images (besides what is available on the posted video). With that being said, a thorough conversation on the matter is merited.

I was not shocked by the design. I had learned several months ago (maybe a year) that the signature train station that captivated hearts in the Waterfront was a no-go. Why, no one was quite sure. But the fact was that the City owned control of its design and it was going forward with what it perceived to be the best solution. (It should be noted — and repeated — that the Szabo plan was also what the City believed to be the best solution.) Simply stated, there are a lot of questions to be asked of the City.

In most design projects, an architect will provide the client (in this case, the City) a few alternative schemes in the form of relatively-crude etchings (the point is: not too much money or investment is spent). The client would then choose one of the alternatives as their choice, or modify one, or combine two. Did this take place for the train station? If so, who made the decision? If not, why was the control of the train station design — the defining building of the city’s waterfront — given to a firm that engineers railway platforms and track realignments?

Some other points…

• The clock tower misses. It is simply not unique or stunning enough (in my opinion). It is bland. It is modern, or post-modern, or something. It doesn’t fit in the context of the rest of the Waterfront.
• If “H E R C U L E S” is spelled out on the building, it should be on the water side, not the land side. (We already know we are in Hercules.) For commuters entering the city by rail or ferry however, a declarative sign announcing that they are entering the City of Hercules would make much more sense. (Easy fix.)
• Glass is apparently the in-thing for architecture these days. Look at any of the plans for the skyscrapers going up in San Francisco, even the Transbay Terminal, and glass is all you see. Glass is a great material if it is cleaned, well and often. When it is not, glass can be one of the worst materials. Think of all the poorly-kept bus shelters along the major roads in the East Bay. The expense of operating a glass structure (the thorough cleaning) must be considered.
• No engineering work has yet been done for the train station. There is time to change the station’s design to meet the context and use that is sought for the Waterfront.