View source for The Infinity

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{for multi|the tower in Miami|Infinity II}}
{{Infobox building
| name               = The Infinity
| image              = Infinity Complex, San Francisco.jpg
| caption            = In 2021
| location           = 160 Folsom Street<br />[[San Francisco, California]]
| coordinates        = {{coord|37.7894|-122.3910|region:US-CA|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_map      = United States San Francisco Central#California#USA
| start_date         = 2005
| completion_date    = 2008
| status          = Complete
| building_type   = Residential condominiums
| architectural_style = [[Modern architecture|Modernism]]
| roof               = Tower I: {{convert|106.7|m|abbr=on}}<br />Tower II: {{convert|128.9|m|abbr=on}}
| floor_count        = Tower I: 37<br />Tower II: 41
| elevator_count     = 14
| cost               = 
| unit_count         = 650
| floor_area         = {{convert|148,645|m2|abbr=on}}
| architect          = [[Heller Manus Architects]] <br> [[Arquitectonica]]
| structural_engineer= [[Magnusson Klemencic Associates]]
| services_engineer  = [[Cupertino Electric]]
| main_contractor    = [[Webcor Builders]]
| developer          = [[Tishman Speyer|Tishman Speyer Properties]]
| owner              = [[Tishman Speyer|Tishman Speyer Properties]]
| management         = 
| references         = <ref>{{CTBUH|12777|The Infinity I}}</ref><ref>{{CTBUH|12776|The Infinity II}}</ref><ref name="Emp1">{{Cite web |url=https://www.emporis.com/buildings/186869 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306082620/https://www.emporis.com/buildings/186869 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=March 6, 2016 |title=The Infinity II |work=[[Emporis]]}}</ref><ref name="Emp2">{{Cite web |url=https://www.emporis.com/buildings/186870 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307041652/https://www.emporis.com/buildings/186870 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=March 7, 2016 |title=The Infinity I |work=[[Emporis]]}}</ref><ref>{{SkyscraperPage|30101}}</ref><ref>{{Structurae|20040319}}</ref><ref name="SFGATE3"/><ref name=650units>{{cite web |url=http://www.the-infinity.com/pdf/Infinity%20Close%20Out.pdf |work=Tishman Speyer |title=Infinity Close Out |quote=Tishman Speyer is proud to announce that all 650 homes at The Infinity are now closed. |access-date=February 28, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cei.com/our-work/the-infinity|title=The Infinity - Cupertino Electric, Inc|author=Chronos Interactive|access-date=17 December 2015}}</ref>
}}

'''The Infinity''' or '''300 Spear Street''' is a mixed-use [[residential]] condominium development in the [[Rincon Hill, San Francisco|Rincon Hill]] neighborhood of [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]], [[California]] consisting of 2 high-rise towers and 2 low-rise buildings. The four buildings contain 650 residential units.<ref name=650units/>  The complex is the first phase of a massive residential development encompassing two city blocks.<ref name="SFGATE3">{{cite news |title=Heller-Manus Towers Key to Tone of Rincon Hill |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/06/15/MN310093.DTL |date=June 15, 2003 |work=The San Francisco Chronicle |first=John |last=King |access-date=August 23, 2010}}</ref>

==History==
The two residential projects, 300 Spear and [[201 Folsom Street|201 Folsom]], were proposed by [[Tishman Speyer|Tishman Speyer Properties]] and initially designed by [[Heller Manus Architects]].<ref name="SFGATE3"/> The San Francisco Planning Commission was scheduled to give its vote on the two projects on June 26, 2003, but this was delayed until September.<ref name="SFGATE3"/><ref>{{cite news|title=S.F. planners delay Rincon Hill towers vote Commissioners want more time to think about the high-rises|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/07/26/BA221301.DTL |date=July 26, 2003 |work=The San Francisco Chronicle |first=John |last=King |access-date=August 23, 2010}}</ref> Eventually, the two projects were given approval by the Planning Commission in spite of heavy opposition.<ref>{{cite news |title=Residential tower plans approved by S.F. agency 4 huge structures still need supervisors' nod |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/09/05/BA194285.DTL |date=September 5, 2003 |work=The San Francisco Chronicle |first=John |last=King |access-date=August 23, 2010}}</ref> However, 300 Spear and 201 Folsom still needed approval from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in order for the project to progress. A few months later, the Board of Supervisors gave initial approval to the projects.<ref>{{cite news |title=S.F. supes OK huge Rincon high-rises 4 buildings double area housing units |url=http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/01/28/BAGKF4JGL71.DTL |date=January 1, 2004 |work=The San Francisco Chronicle |first=Suzanne |last=Herel |access-date=August 23, 2010}}</ref> The project was given final approval by San Francisco's Board of Supervisors on February 4, 2004.<ref>{{cite news |title=San Francisco Supervisors OK Rincon Hill towers|url=http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/02/04/BAGL84OIAF1.DTL |work=The San Francisco Chronicle |date=February 4, 2004 |first=Suzanne |last=Herel |access-date=August 23, 2010}}</ref>

==Description==

===Overview===
The residential complex consists of four buildings with one 8 and one 9-story midrise, and 37 and 42-story highrise towers.<ref name="Webcor">{{cite web |title=The Infinity (300 SPEAR STREET), San Francisco, CA |url=http://www.webcor.com/current.html?proj_id=194 |publisher=Webcor |access-date=August 23, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091015152255/http://www.webcor.com/current.html?proj_id=194 |archive-date=October 15, 2009 }}</ref> The highrise towers are named The Infinity I and The Infinity II. One of the towers, the Infinity I, rises {{Convert|350|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} and contain 37 floors.<ref name="Emp2"/> The taller highrise, the Infinity II, rises {{Convert|450|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} {{Ref label|note01|A|b}} and contain 42 floors.<ref name="Emp1"/> The 650-unit complex containing these four buildings is bounded by Main Street to the southwest, Folsom Street to the northwest and Spear Street to the northeast.<ref name="Emp1"/><ref name="Emp2"/> The complex is one block inland from the [[Embarcadero (San Francisco)|Embarcadero]] and the San Francisco Bay.<ref>Site description based on [[Google Earth]] images.</ref> Pricing for the units range from $700,000-$5 million.

===Design===
300 Spear was originally designed by San Francisco's Heller Manus Architects.<ref name="Arch">{{Cite web|title= INSIGHT: RINCONoitering: How Vancouver Ideas Do – and Do Not Help – in Shaping San Francisco's First High Density Neighborhood – Part I |url=http://www.archnewsnow.com/features/Feature126.htm |work=ArchNewsNow |date=January 22, 2004 |access-date=August 23, 2010}}</ref>  The 820-unit complex featured a garden on top of the midrise towers and all four buildings were connected together.<ref name="Arch"/><ref name="SFGATEN1">{{cite news |title=A New Skyline Rincon Hill |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/06/15/MN190427.DTL |date=June 15, 2003 |work=The San Francisco Chronicle |first=John |last=King |access-date=August 23, 2010}}</ref> Later, the developer decided to hire [[Arquitectonica]] to revamp the design of 300 Spear along with Heller Manus Architects. The four buildings of the complex were split apart and the sky gardens were gone. In addition, the complex had its [[color]] changed to a blue-green color which adapted a simplified [[concrete]] structure with curving walls of glass [[curtain wall (architecture)|curtain wall]] and metal. The number of units was also reduced from 820 to 650 before construction of 300 Spear began.<ref name="SFGATE2">{{cite news|title=Rincon Hill on the rise Slender towers, wide walkways would transform area |url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/place/article/Rincon-Hill-on-the-rise-Slender-towers-wide-2679378.php |work=The San Francisco Chronicle |date=April 18, 2005 |first=John |last=King |access-date=August 23, 2010}}</ref>

===Impact===
The highrise towers rise above the earlier buildings in between the [[Embarcadero (San Francisco)|Embarcadero]] [[wharf|waterfront]] and Spear Street, making the complex prominent from places like the San Francisco Bay.<ref name="SFGATE3"/> Along with the [[Millennium Tower (San Francisco)|Millennium Tower]] and [[One Rincon Hill]] to the west and south, respectively, they will create a new highrise neighborhood in the [[South of Market]] district.

===Buried ship discovery===
Construction started in April, 2005 when a surface parking lot was demolished to make way for the complex.<ref name="SFGATE2"/> Midway through the excavation process, a buried {{convert|125|ft|abbr=on}} ship was found just to the south of Spear Street {{convert|20|ft|abbr=on}} below street level on fill that was once a [[ship breaking]] dock owned by [[Charles Haer]].<ref name="SFGATE4">{{cite news |title=Few clues unearthed about mystery ship buried after Gold Rush Dug up at condo project, site of old 'maritime junkyard' |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/09/08/BAGBFEK6PC1.DTL&hw=old+ship+buried&sn=002&sc=706 |date=September 8, 2005 |first=Carl |last=Nolte |access-date=August 23, 2010 |work=The San Francisco Chronicle}}</ref> The buried ship was later identified as the 1818 whaling ship ''The Candace''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Experts dig up nautical past of long-buried 1818 whaler |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/01/28/MNG1KGV3O41.DTL&hw=old+ship+buried&sn=047&sc=553 |work=The San Francisco Chronicle |date=January 28, 2006 |first=Carl |last=Nolte |access-date=August 23, 2010}}</ref>

==Notes==
:'''A.''' {{note label|note01|A|a}}{{note label|note01|A|b}}The SkyscraperPage.com 300 Spear and San Francisco Project Rundown threads state The Infinity I is 400 feet (122 m) tall, as opposed to 450 feet (137 m). [http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=67546 Source.] [http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=24868 Source.]

==See also==
{{Portal|San Francisco Bay Area}}
*[[List of tallest buildings in San Francisco]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Infinity Complex, San Francisco|position=right}}
* [http://www.the-infinity.com/ Official Website]

{{Financial District, San Francisco}}
{{South of Market, San Francisco}}
{{Buildings in San Francisco}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Infinity}}
[[Category:Residential buildings in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Residential skyscrapers in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Financial District, San Francisco]]
[[Category:South of Market, San Francisco]]
[[Category:2000s architecture in the United States]]
[[Category:2000s in San Francisco]]
[[Category:2008 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Arquitectonica buildings]]