Presidio Tunnel Tops: From Concept to Reality

Free admission, registration required, seating limited

Join us for a special presentation by Richard Kennedy, RLA, lead designer for the Presidio Tunnel Tops parklands, in conjunction with the exhibition, “Presidio Tunnel Tops: San Francisco Like you’ve Never Seen it Before” in The Studio at the Marin Art & Garden Center.

Twenty-five years ago, Bay Area leaders, urban planners, and citizens were faced with replacing seismically unsafe Doyle Drive that divided the Presidio.  Thanks to the vision of Michael Painter, the elegant at-grade Presidio Parkway is nearly complete, creating 14 acres of new Presidio parkland above two tunnels – and allowing the Presidio’s waterfront to be reconnected to its historic core.

The exhibition, featuring renderings, models and video, traces the genesis of the design for these new parklands in one of the most stunning locations in the world.  Beginning with a request for proposals from design firms around the world, this complex project has been developed through in-depth consultation with subject specialists and input from the public.

Landscape architect Richard Kennedy, who heads the San Francisco design offices of Field Operations, will describe the design process for this ambitious and unprecedented project, and the input received from the community that helped shape the design.  The new parkland includes a significant area devoted to a natural playground, called “Playscape.” In it, old and new ways of play are brought together in a dynamic exploration of the natural landscape by the San Francisco Bay.

The presentation will be followed by a wine reception and an opportunity to take a closer look at the exhibition.