Recognition for the Sunset Parklet by INTERSTICE Architects in San Francisco

The “Sunset Parklet” by Californian multi-disciplinary design studio, INTERSTICE Architects was awarded Special Recognition in Urban Design from San Francisco's AIA Design Awards Program. Urban acupuncture that creates a meeting point for the community out of a marginal city space.



The “Sunset Parklet” by INTERSTICE Architects, a multidisciplinary collaborative of architects, landscape architects, urban designers and visual artists who embrace the idea of simple and sustainable solutions through intelligent infrastructures has faced the task of a very topical issue: recovering urban “non-places” like parking spaces to give them back to the community.
The word “parklet” was coined in San Francisco, and indicates the extension of sidewalks offering amenities like seating, greenery, bicycle parking and more for citizens. Parklets typically extend out from the sidewalk on parking lanes (link wikipedia).





INTERSTICE Architects follows that definition, making the most of the parking spaces for 2.5 cars (15 metres long) next to two local retailers (Other Avenues Whole Food Co-op Market and Sea Breeze Café) on Outer Sunset in San Francisco with a visually exciting installation that combines a range of contents: seats for eating, places just to hang out with friends, bicycle parking, space for children and for dogs, all made from durable, robust materials to respond to the different uses.





The Sunset Parklet is a solid, linear construction made from four parallel strips of the same dimensions, which undulate - just like the streets of San Francisco. The work by INTERSTICE Architects looks like a barge on the beach side, and on the street side it looks like a warm timber refuge from the urban asphalt - a place where you can improve your social life, all made from sustainable, reclaimed materials, an urban sculpture for the community.





The “Sunset Parklet” was awarded Special Recognition in Urban Design from San Francisco's AIA Design Awards Program specifically for its hands-on approach to urban planning.

Christiane Bürklein

Architect: INTERSTICE Architects
Contractor: Mark Vann
Photographer: Cesar Rubio - courtesy of v2com
Location: Judah Street, Sunset District, San Francisco, CA
Completed 2014