Encinal Tower facts for kids

The Encinal Tower was a very tall building, called a skyscraper, that was planned for Downtown Oakland, California. This building was designed to have many different uses, like offices and homes. It was supposed to be 715 feet (218 m) tall and have 56 floors.

The building's design was quite unique. It looked like a glass cylinder with a special pattern of X-shapes on the outside. One side of the building was planned to look like a roll of fabric unrolling. If it had been built, the Encinal Tower would have been the tallest building in Oakland. It would also have been the third-tallest in the Bay Area. Only 555 California Street and the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco would have been taller.

The idea for this building changed many times since it was first suggested in 2006. However, the plan was stopped in 2010. In 2012, the land was sold to a new developer. They now plan to build a much smaller tower there.

What it Would Look Like

The Encinal Tower was planned for a spot in Downtown Oakland. This location was just a few blocks from Lake Merritt. It was also right next to the 19th Street BART station. The area is currently home to some smaller buildings and a parking lot. The main people behind the project were Chengben (Peter) Wang and Encinal. The architects who designed it were Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

The building was shaped like an oval cylinder. One side would have curved outwards and downwards. The outside of the building was meant to be made of glass. It would also have a pattern of X-shapes, with a line going through the middle of each X.

This huge tower was planned to be 715 ft (218 m) tall. It would have 56 floors and a total of 1,500,000 sq ft (140,000 m²) of space. Most of this space, about 790,000 sq ft (73,000 m²), would be for offices. There would also be 320,000 sq ft (30,000 m²) for parking cars. About 75,000 sq ft (7,000 m²) would be for shops and stores.

The top 22 floors of the skyscraper were planned for homes. There would be 220 apartments, with about ten homes on each floor. The building would also have a very large lobby at its base. This lobby would be 60 ft (18 m) tall and would display artwork. The developer, Mr. Wang, wanted this building to be a famous landmark for the city of Oakland.

At 715 ft (218 m) tall, the Encinal Tower would have been much taller than the Ordway Building. The Ordway Building is 404 ft (123 m) tall and is currently Oakland's tallest. The Encinal Tower would have been the third-tallest building in the entire Bay Area. Only San Francisco's 555 California Street (779 ft (237 m)) and the Transamerica Pyramid (853 ft (260 m)) would have been taller.

Project History

The idea for this building first came up around 2006. The developers, Wang and Encinal, initially called the project 1930 Broadway. At first, it was planned to be the new main office for the University of California system. Mr. Wang came up with three different designs for this office-only building. These designs ranged from 44 floors (603 ft (184 m)) to 63 floors (827 ft (252 m)).

However, the University of California decided not to go forward with the project. So, the plan changed to a building with mixed uses, including offices and homes. The new design was for an 827 ft (252 m) skyscraper. It would have had 1,007 parking spaces in an 11-story garage. There would also be offices on 48 floors, and space for shops and a lobby. A 150-room hotel was also part of this plan. The building was even designed to connect directly to the 19th Street BART station. The original plan was to start building in 2007 and finish by 2009.

In mid-2007, the project's name changed to 1938 Broadway. The building's height was also reduced to 790 ft (241 m) with 59 floors. This new design included even more space for offices, a larger parking garage, and a 116-room hotel. The building would also have two basement levels. These levels would connect the building to the BART station. The developer also thought about other designs, including one with 44 to 45 floors for offices and homes.

But sometime in 2007 or 2008, Mr. Wang stopped the project. He was not happy with the different designs for the building. Later, in July 2008, Encinal submitted another proposal. This time, the project was called Encinal Tower instead of its street address. In 2012, Mr. Wang put the property up for sale. He asked for $5.95 million. The land was then sold to Seth Hamilian, who plans to build a much smaller tower, no more than 28 stories tall.