John King

John King is the San Francisco Chronicle’s urban-design critic. He is the author of Portal: San Francisco’s Ferry Building and the Reinvention of American Cities.

Record Interiors 2024

Gensler San Francisco's New Full-Floor Office is a Balancing Act Between Future and Past

San Francisco

John King

April 8, 2024

No Comments

The architecture office softens the blow of its return-to-office mandate with a transformative workplace revamp.

John King Untangles the History of American Urbanism Through San Francisco’s Ferry Building

Excerpt: 'Portal: San Francisco's Ferry Building and the Reinvention of American Cities' by John King

John King

January 1, 2024

No Comments

Conceived during the Gilded Age, the Bay Area landmark was a showcase of civic ambition when it opened in 1898.

Studio Gang Completes a Quartet of New Buildings in a Revamp of Kresge College at UC Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

John King

December 7, 2023

3 Comments

Three new residence halls and an academic center rise on a redwoods-cloaked California campus conceived by Charles Moore and William Turnbull Jr. in the 1960s.

AIA San Francisco and Center for Architecture and Design

AIA San Francisco Moves Downstairs in the Historic Hallidie Building for a Major Office Upgrade

California

John King

September 1, 2023

No Comments

One of Aidlin Darling Design's most significant undertakings to date, the refurbished space will serve as the chapter's offices as well as the city's center for architecture and design.

Field Architecture Composes a Copper-Clad Retreat in California's Wine Country

Sonoma County, California

John King

August 14, 2023

No Comments

Perched atop a ridge in Sonoma County, connected pavilions blur the boundary between inside and out.

Perkins&Will Raises Expectations at Former San Francisco Shipbuilding Hub

John King

February 1, 2023

No Comments

In a triumph of historic preservation, the firm lifts an old pier building to accommodate climate change and new economic realities.

For Uber's Headquarters, SHoP Reinvents the Glass Box with "Breathing Facades"

The San Francisco complex offers an alternative to the conventional office tower

John King

May 1, 2022

No Comments

Two interconnected buildings in San Francisco offer an alternative to the conventional office tower.

Studio Gang’s twisting new 39-story Mira residential tower.

The Future of San Francisco's Transbay District

John King

October 2, 2020

2 Comments

Tech offices are dark and storefronts are empty. But, as residential towers by Studio Gang and OMA show, the future of San Francisco’s new mixed-use district is planned for diversity and affordability.

Review of 'Ruin and Redemption in Architecture'

by Dan Barasch

John King

October 7, 2019

No Comments

This collection of architectural treasures lost and salvaged illustrates the possibilities of how older buildings can be repurposed.

St. Mary's Student Chapel by Mark Cavagnero Associates

Albany, California

John King

June 5, 2019

No Comments

A serene, meditative sanctuary beckons to young people on the campus of a private Catholic high school in California.

Credits: 1 AIA LU/HSW; 1 AIBD P-CE; 0.1 ICC CEU; 0.1 IACET CEU

This course highlights the benefits, applications, and design potential of expanded mesh and perforated metal in creating sustainable, inspiring architectural projects.

Credits: 1 AIA LU/Elective; 1 AIBD P-CE; 0.1 ICC CEU; 0.1 IACET CEU

This webinar offers strategies to develop next-gen leaders, enhancing value, retention, and resilience for architecture firms.

John King

ARTICLES

Gensler San Francisco's New Full-Floor Office is a Balancing Act Between Future and Past

John King Untangles the History of American Urbanism Through San Francisco’s Ferry Building

Studio Gang Completes a Quartet of New Buildings in a Revamp of Kresge College at UC Santa Cruz

AIA San Francisco Moves Downstairs in the Historic Hallidie Building for a Major Office Upgrade

Field Architecture Composes a Copper-Clad Retreat in California's Wine Country

Perkins&Will Raises Expectations at Former San Francisco Shipbuilding Hub

For Uber's Headquarters, SHoP Reinvents the Glass Box with "Breathing Facades"

The Future of San Francisco's Transbay District

Review of 'Ruin and Redemption in Architecture'

St. Mary's Student Chapel by Mark Cavagnero Associates

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