
The San Francisco skyline might be due for a big change with the proposed 62-story “floating cube” building in SoMa. A transparent 54th floor gives viewers the impression that the top “cube” is floating above the rest of the building.
The building was designed by Miami-based architecture firm Arquitectonica who also designed 33 Tehama, Infinity towers, and Trinity Place in SoMa.

According to reporting by the San Francisco Chronicle, the building would sit a few blocks away from Salesforce Park at 620 Folsom St. It would feature 826 residential units with 15%, marked affordable for very-low-income households.
The “floating” illusion is achieved by a 29-foot tall transparent “amenity floor” located on the 54th floor of the building. This space would offer panoramic views and feature lounges, workshare areas, and a fitness center for residents.

The project’s entitlement application expresses the building’s unique shape as “hovering above SOMA like a subtle glowing lantern, the building’s cubic form reflects a design that is both unique and expressive of its time, but also complementary to its historic Bay context.”
Construction is estimated to take 36 months to complete and cost at least $250 million. Only time and a lot of paperwork will tell if SF has a floating cube in its future.
Featured image: courtesy of SF Planning Department