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The Ferry Building Near
its Return to Glory
Faithful
readers of Bay Crossings may recall when we last visited with Dylan
Berry, the fellow in charge of the renovations currently underway at San
Francisco’s historic Ferry Building. We thought it was time to check in
with Dylan to see how things are going. It’s especially fitting given we’ve
introduced our new logo for Bay Crossings this month, one that
proudly features the Ferry Building, past and future, keystone of the San
Francisco Bay waterfront.
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The
Ferry Building in its glory days (above). Before ferry service
diminished in the 1950’s, the San Francisco Ferry Building –
designed by A. Page Brown in 1892 and put into use in 1898 – was
among the busiest transportation terminals in the world. During
the 1920’s, when this picture was taken, some 100,000 commuters
passed through the building each day, making it second only to
Charing Cross, London, in traffic.
The Ferry Building
under assault (right). The heinously misguided Embarcadero
Freeway, poster child for all that was wrong with so-called
freeway-dependant "urban renewal" plans, under
construction in March of 1964. The Ferry Building was left
virtually derelict after ferry service was forced out of business
to ensure automobile and bridge use. The final insult was to seal
off the building altogether from the City it had served so well. |
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| Our
host Dylan Berry, Construction Manager for the Ferry Building
Project, in the nave of the newly re-opened Ferry Building. A
third floor was inserted in 1961, dividing the south concourse
into two levels and forming a new third floor for the World Trade
Club. Dylan’s crew have removed the girders, creating dramatic
floor-to-ceiling vistas. |
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