San Francisco is constructing three major lighting towers in order to assist 60,000 daily commuters in traveling safely. However, these towers are designed more like works of art rather than typical lighting towers.
In fact, their design is leading many people to refer to them as “lighting sculptures”.
The three towers were designed by artist and 2010 MacArthur Fellow Jorge Pardo. They are planned to be about 20 feet high and shine with a variety of colorful glowing internal lights.
Pardo calls the proposed towers an “urban machine” and are meant to invoke the image of California’s native trees.
The construction of the towers is a significant part of San Francisco’s Van Ness Corridor Transit Improvement Project, which is designed to make driving in the city safer and more efficient.
The project is supposedly going to cover the area along the Van Ness Avenue from Lombard to Mission Streets. The area is said to be one of the city’s busiest corridors.
As part of the project, the city will introduce the Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit, which will provide a method of quick transportation for citizens and tourists. The project will also include pedestrian safety enhancements, signal upgrades, new lighting for streets and sidewalks, new landscaping, and the resurfacing of roads.
The improvements are expected to reduce transit travel times by 32 percent.
The San Francisco city council is planning to hold a public meeting in October to discuss the lighting towers. The towers are currently planned to be placed at three new rapid-transit bus stations.
The towers are scheduled to be finished by 2019.
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