SAUSALITO ATRIUM
AND VISITORS CENTER, SAUSALITO, CA
INITIAL CONCEPT
THE BANK BUILDING SITS PREDOMINATELY IN A SEA OF ADJACENT PARKING BLOCKS WHILE BEING THE CENTER POINT OF THE CITY. IT WAS OUR INITIAL REACTION FROM THE BEGINNING TO TREAT THE RFI FOR THE WHOLE BLOCK RATHER THAN ISOLATE THE BANK ALONE.BEFORE DEALING WITH THE SITE AS A SINGLE BUILDING, WE WANTED TO INTEGRATE BOTH THE EXISTING PARKING WITH THE PROJECTED FUTURE USES OF THE BANK. WE HAVE OUTLINED A CHANGE TO THE BUILDING AS THE RFI REQUESTED BUT TO ALSO USE THE AIR RIGHTS OVER THE ADJACENT PARKING FOR RESIDENTIAL HOUSING, WHICH GIVES FURTHER LIFE TO THE BLOCK. THIS WILL PROVIDE, AS REQUESTED, A LONG-TERM ASSET AS PART OF THE OVERALL CONCEPT.
WE ENVISIONED THE BUILDING TO BE MULTI-PURPOSE AND INCORPORATING BOTH A VENUE FOR VISITORS AND AS IMPORTANT, A DESTINATION FOR RESIDENTS. WE LOOKED AT THE COMMUNITY-ORIENTED ADJACENT LAND USES AND CHOSE AS A DIRECTION AN INCLUSIVE FABRIC FOR THE ENTIRE BUILDING.
THE DESIGN DISSOLVES THE CORNER OPPOSITE THE FERRY TERMINAL AND BRINGS PEOPLE INTO A FACETED GLASS WALL TRANSITION. THIS ALLOWS A VISUAL CONNECTION TO THE PLAZA AND ONE OF THE ENTRIES AND ELIMINATES THE HARD WOODEN CORNER.
DIGITAL PRESENTATION
THERE WOULD BE ON TWO 25 FOOT DIGITAL SCREENS AS INDICATED IN THE DRAWINGS, A RUNNING DOCUMENTARY OF BOTH THE PRESENT AND PAST OF SAUSALITO. THIS COULD BE UPDATED WITH ANY CURRENT EVENTS. THE MARITIME HISTORY OF SAUSALITO, THE LIBERTY SHIPS AND THE HOUSEBOAT COMMUNITY WHICH HOUSED ARTISTS FOR DECADES CAN BE GRAPHICALLY INDICATED IN THE DISPLAY. SILICON VALLEY IS CREDITED WITH INCUBATING THE TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION WHICH IS NOW WELL-KNOWN. WHAT IS NOT MENTIONED IS THAT SAUSALITO WAS THE SITE OF CREATING THE MOST WIDELY USED AND VALUABLE GRAPHICS COMPANY IN THE WORLD. IT WAS IN 1983 THAT INVITATIONS WERE SENT TO LOCAL ARCHITECTS TO ATTEND A MARINSHIP LOCATION FOR THE SHOWING OF AUTOCAD 1, WHICH WOULD CHANGE ARCHITECTURE AND GRAPHIC DESIGN FOREVER. THIS IS ONE OF THE GRAPHIC DISPLAYS THAT WOULD BE RUNNING ON THE SCREENS.
