Credit: PEDEN+MUNK

The iconic setting is perfect for transforming highway infrastructure into a vibrant new public space.
– James Corner

Work has begun on a new James Corner Field Operations (JCFO)-designed park being built on top of the Presidio Parkway highway tunnels in San Francisco.

The Presidio Tunnel Tops project will cost $118m (€106m, £91m) and was made possible when the section of highway, which previously divided the Presidio national park, was moved underground.

Covering 14ac (7ha), the park will provide a mix of amenities and nature, with input from 10,000 members of the community having helped shape its design.

Among its facilities will be a central plaza with a visitor centre, a campfire seating circle with trees providing shade, a space for gatherings and barbecues and an exhibitions and events centre.

A youth campus with play and education facilities will include learning labs, spaces for education and events programming and a child-friendly landscape for multi-sensory learning, exploration and play.

There will also be a meadow with grasses and perennials for activities like picnicking, kite-flying and family gatherings and a cliff walk with lookout points and views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

James Corner, founder and CEO of JCFO, said: "This has been an extraordinary experience to create a new green centrepiece for the Presidio in the context of the larger Bay Area and the world-class city of San Francisco. The iconic setting is perfect for transforming highway infrastructure into a vibrant new public space."

Design of the project began with the appointment of JCFO in 2014 and the Presidio Tunnel Tops park is expected to be complete 2021.

James Corner Field Operations chosen to design San Francisco's Presidio Park