Metreon
Sony Entertainment Center
San Francisco, California
Architect: Simon, Martin-Vegue, Winkelstein, Morris (SMWM) / Gary Handel Associates
General Contractor: Bovis Construction
Glass Feature Wall Design and Engineering:
Harmon Engineering Services
Bloomington MN
Scope: Harmon Engineering designed and engineered the most challanging aspect of this project. The 52 foot tall clear span glass wall 14,000 sq. ft. framed with vertical 8" steel pipes and glazed with 1/2" tempered glass. All of the structural elements were exposed to view and appeared to be an extension of the vertical pipe frame. The balance of the curtainwall and glass scope was done by Harmon California.
Situated on the western edge of Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco, Sony's Metreon has the benefit and responsibility of one of the most popular sites in the city. Also bordered by the Center for the Arts Theater & Galleries and the Museum of Modern Art, the park has become an attractive public space with a consistent stream of tourists and art-goers. The Metreon adds a capitalistic punch to this mixture with 15 cinemas, an IMAX theater, entertainment venues (ride simulation, virtual reality, and interactive media) and retail spaces. The building, completed in summer 1999, successfully addresses its site but also, more importantly, sets a precedent for malls in the 21st century.
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