Millennium Tower

The tallest residential building in the United States west of Chicago, Millennium Tower consists of a 60-story tower, a nine-story mid-rise portion with apartments, an amenity level, retail space, and a public glass atrium. The central atrium links the two structures together. Designed as the primary public entry and gathering space for the project, the two-story glass atrium creates an indoor, museum-like garden space along the street. In total the project includes 419 condominium units, 21,500 square feet of amenity space, 8,000 square feet of retail space, and a five-level underground parking garage for 340 cars.

At 645 feet, the tower is the fourth-tallest structure on the city's skyline. The tower's exterior design creates the impression of a translucent crystal. Delicately detailed and taut in character, the exterior materials incorporate a variety of glass and metal fins to craft a sense of lightness and transparency. The tower's slender proportions, combined with clean lines and a sleek profile, visually reinforce the elegance of the tower's crystalline character and enhance the skyline as an architectural landmark. The exterior profile of the tower has been sculpted with chamfered corners and faceted planes creating a perception that the tower's silhouette shifts as the light changes throughout the day.

John Rahaim, San Francisco's City Planning Director, proclaimed Millennium Tower one of his favorite new buildings in the city, saying, "The treatment of the skin creates a complexity you wouldn't get from glass alone. The proportions keep shifting, and the skin keeps changing in the light."

Client

Millennium Partners

Awards

2010 BUILDING SAN FRANCISCO AWARD, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce

2010 DESIGN AWARD, Society of American Registered Architects National

2010 BEST MARKET-RATE RESIDENTIAL PROJECT, San Francisco Business Journal

2009 AWARD OF MERIT, California Construction

2009 TOP 10 SKYSCRAPERS OF THE YEAR, Emporis.com

2009 STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING PROJECT OF THE YEAR, American Society of Civil Engineers, Region 9

2008 AWARD OF MERIT, Concrete Industry Board

2008 OUTSTANDING STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING PROJECT, San Francisco Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers

Publications

"Spectacular view of a 60-story milestone," San Francisco Chronicle, 09 February 2008.

"Sleek and Stylish: New high-rise towers reshape San Francisco's skyline," California Construction, May 2007.

"Heart of Glass: Millennium Tower is a sleek, prismatic gem...," San Francisco Magazine, March 2006.

"Condo Tower Ready to Soar," San Francisco Business Times, 29 July 2005.

"The Art and Science of Peace and Quiet," Architectural Record, February 2005.

"A chance to reach new heights: Towers could energize S.F. skyline," San Francisco Chronicle, 21 December 2003.

"Planners approve 58-story tower," San Francisco Chronicle, 01 August 2003.

Photography

Bruce Damonte