San Francisco’s Transit Center District is one of the most important development opportunities in the city’s history, and its transformation presents a bold vision for the South of Market Street neighborhood. Once isolated by residual 20th-century freeway infrastructure, the redesigned district—now a vibrant, fully integrated, mixed-use neighborhood—is a model for high density redevelopment.

The centerpiece of the district is 500 Folsom, a 42-story residential tower strategically sited adjacent the Bay Bridge offramp where it welcomes visitors arriving from the East Bay. Rising in a series of stacking volumes and topped with a unique terracotta crown, the tower is an iconic and distinguishing presence in San Francisco’s multifaceted skyline. The building features 428 market-rate units, 109 below-market-rate units, residential amenities such as a spa and indoor-outdoor recreation areas, and 289 below-grade parking spaces.

The building’s stacked composition echoes the scale of the neighborhood, strengthened by a series of alternating vertical spaces punctuated by red terracotta and residential balconies. Two mid-rise podiums, designed by Fougeron Architecture, anchor the tower and form an outdoor paseo that creates a link from Folsom to Clementina Street and Oscar Park beyond.