Less razzle-dazzle, more subtlety needed for high-stakes Transbay Terminal design

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http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2007/01/30/dd_place2001.jpg Santiago Calatrava's "Turning Torso" in Malmo, Sweden. Palladium Photodesign photo by Burg | Schuh

http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2007/01/30/dd_place2002.jpgSir Richard Rogers' Leaden-hall Building in London. Photo courtesy of Cityscape

Today's a big day for San Francisco and the Bay Area, whether or not you know it.
By big I mean big -- and tall.
Five of the world's best architects -- flanked by financiers and engineers and who knows who else -- will take turns making the case that they're the ideal choice to design a tower that could change the look of San Francisco for decades to come.
As someone who believes in the transformative potential of great architecture, I'm excited that each one is here. But I also hope that, as they joust for position in the hours and months to come, this thought lodges in the back of their minds: San Francisco doesn't need an exclamation point. It needs a supple and subtle vision -- on the ground as well as the sky -- that stands as a symbol of what sustainable, elegant urbanity can be. (...)

Fonte: SFGate.com