The architects behind the planned Warriors arena off Piers 30-32 have released updates to their initial waterfront design. The new plans by architecture team at Snøhetta & AECOM represent an attempt to win over naysayers by expanding community-centric features of the initial design and reducing the height of the gleaming arena structure to 125 feet (AT&T Park is 132 feet to the top of the seating bowl).
Per the updates, on-site parking would be cut from 630 spaces down to 511, bike parking would be upped to 300 and the dinky kayak ramp would be swapped out in favor of a much more ambitious deep water cruise-ship berth. A publicly accessible exterior pedestrian walkway would spiral around the arena and a multi-use park would ring the building, achieving the stated goal of 50% open space for the project.
The arena itself is still reminiscent of a giant, shiny Jell-O mold. New enhancements to the design would include a 25-foot-wide glass curtain that would let pedestrians peek in on games in progress, and a view of the Bay Bridge from seats inside the arena. The exterior roof of the arena will also be able to project images, patterns or shapes via an LED array similar to that of the Bay Bridge.
Contrary to initial promises, the new design may force Red’s Java House to move to make room for a pedestrian corridor.
Opponents of the development, which will be privately financed, have expressed worry over the obstruction of the waterfront view, fan noise (aka sidewalk pissing and puking), and the relocation from Oakland on principle. The primary concern is, of course, traffic and parking, especially given that AT&T Park is right down the street and concurrent Giants and Warriors home games could present a clusterfuck of epic proportions.
