Safeway Station Video Is Now Online
— by Mike Bowermaster — 3 June 2009 — 2 comments below »
The video of the waterfront workshop is now available online.
1970s Safeway architecture. Note the arched roof, transparent glass & steel front, and marquee red lettering.
In the question and answer portion of the presentation, concerns regarding the station’s architectural style as well as the transit plaza design are brought into question.
I just watched the video done at the meeting (I was not able to be there) and I am not shocked at all by the project, especially about the glass/metal/brick station.
The comparison with a Safeway store is a very cheap one. A lot of transit stations, even airports, are done in glass now. People feel better in a clear environment, this is why glass is more and more used in administration buildings, museums, libraries, etc.
Are we going to argue about the glass concept and compare that project with Safeway? I hope not. Why don’t we compare it to beautiful other glass buildings here in San Francisco or in Europe where a lot of train stations are done in glass for safety purposes.
It’s impossible to please everybody. We will always find a person or a group against this or that. One does not like glass, this one does not like bricks, this one complains about the noise, not enough trains, too many trains and noise in my backyard, etc… Whew!
I forgot: Sierra Club will join the lawsuit about 2 bird nests moved because of the construction, argh!
I like to see this district developed, the train and ferry open for business. That project or the other one are fine with me. Shall we cooperate on the main idea and move forward ASAP instead of advertising for Safeway?
I believe Mike Bowermaster is correct. How and why city officials went from the early transit station concept to the current concept is a legitimate question. It’s a shame city officials deviated so substantially from the early transit station concept. The question is, what can be done at this point to change the current course of action?
The architect mentioned the Martinez Train Station. Well I hope that building didn’t inspire this project! The Martinez train station looks a great deal like the Martinez adult detention facility.