Proj Overview

PROJECT OVERVIEW

San Francisco’s sizable population boom requires significant residential planning. Developers devised a master plan for Mission Rock—a new neighborhood that would convert a former parking lot along the waterfront into a vibrant corridor. Mission Rock was to include four unique buildings. Mission Rock A, which would eventually be named “The Canyon,” is a stunning piece of the development

Read more about this project in the Fall 2025 issue of Ascent.

PRECAST SOLUTION

GFRC and precast concrete delivered numerous advantages. With four high-rise buildings under construction in a dense urban neighborhood, minimizing on-site labor and congestion was critical. Precast concrete allowed labor to be shifted off-site, reducing the project’s footprint along with complex field operations.

 

Project Team

Owners

Tishman Speyer, San Francisco Giants

Design Architect

MVRDV

Architect

Perry Architects

Structural Engineer

Magnusson Klemencic Associates

Precast Concrete Producer

Clark Pacific

Key Project Attributes

  • The Canyon doesn’t just provide residents with unbeatable views and a premium living experience—it’s a prime example of how high-rise dreams can be converted into picturesque reality through the power and versatility of precast concrete.
  • The concept was for The Canyon to replicate natural rock formations, so a narrow valley was created that runs in between two steep walls on either side.
  • The inspiration for the project was the city itself. San Francisco is unique in the way that it combines urban grids, which are quite rigid, with a very peculiar natural topography.

Project/Precast Scope

  • The Canyon exemplifies how precast concrete can deliver both performance and artistry.
  • To achieve the desired coloring and texture of the panels, Clark Pacific produced 100 separate human-scale mock-ups.
  • The precast concrete producer manufactured 959 precast concrete components, including a mix of punched window panels with nested frames and assembly panels that formed the canyon-like façade.