Union Square is a public plaza located in the heart of San Francisco's commercial district, with a rich history of serving as the city's commons since 1850. For the re-design of the plaza, April Philips Design Works joined forces with MD Fortheringham to form the Philips/Fortheringham Partnership and completed the Square in 2002.

Public Space Shapes a City
Designers shape public space so that it subtly seeps into the neighborhood's collective consciousness over time. Union Square today represents that evolution. As a public park the Square's programing includes a variety of features designed to engage a broader spectrum of users, increasing the activity level both day and night. The technical resolution of topography and accessibility was challenging in a site that has over 22 feet of cross slope conditions and a structural concrete roof deck below the entire block. There was enough volume between the structural roof and the parking level below to provide depth for tree planted green terraces to transition between the existing slope of the parking structure roof and the street sidewalks surrounding the Square. These stepped granite and green terraces create multiple opportunities for people watching and gathering while creating a generous buffer from busy downtown streets.

Sustainable Materials and Public Art
The integration of the materials and public art into the design was inspired by local history, natural flora and the site's topography. The striped pattern pays homage to the Crocker Soup Kitchen's long board tables used for feeding the masses in the Square immediately after the 1906 earthquake. The contrasting granite paving colors in cool grey and warm peach symbolize the sand dune and native environment that originally covered the site centuries ago and helps to visually define and break down the large gathering space. Cast-in-place concrete planters are clad in a polished granite veneer to support the 27,000 square feet of intensive roof garden landscape area that makes up 30% of the site. Granite planters at two corner entries are engraved with an historic timeline of Union Square as well as an historic timeline of the mayors of San Francisco. Integrally colored cast-in-place concrete terraces with 6-inch radii edges to deter skateboarders create seating opportunities that step down from plaza to street level. Serious lunchtime activities anchor this edge of the Square. Sixteen custom bas-relief ceramic tiles, depicting native California plants and created by local artist Vicki Saulls are inset into the granite walls at the other two corner entries. Each corner entry has mini-stage pedestals for street performers made from split-face and flame cut granite.

A Social and Equitable Core
Spatially, the design responds to individual and group needs by shaping both intimate and grand subspaces. The Square provides for a wide range of social and cultural events and experiences, becoming a sustainable "stage" where the visitor is both the entertainer and the entertained. At its core, the design reinforces the social drama of people watching other people, both casually and as formal entertainment. At the time of its completion in 2002, Union Square received a national Merit Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects. Since the redesign, the Square has only grown in its programming and vibrancy as a key city destination for all.