gap headquarters

Modern, fresh and clean, the gardens of this corporate headquarters are inspired by the abstract works of the De Stijl artistic movement. The gardens complement the building’s architectural expression of simple geometric relationships and the client’s passion for modern art. The seventh floor rooftop garden resembles a Mondrian painting, defined through crisp blocks of materials, colors and textures. The composition integrates horizontal and vertical planes, interlocking patterns of granite pavement and bronze grating, planters filled with bold masses of perennials and shrubs, and floating grass planes and windscreens. Within the rectilinear surface pattern of the garden, the rooftop was further conceived as five distinct microclimates. The plant palette is responsive to these conditions, and each section conceptually represents a region where species typically found there are displayed—northeast, southeast, southwest, west, and northwest. Rich in texture and form, the plants were selected to ensure a continuous bloom cycle from spring through autumn, offering year-round beauty and interest.

Location
San Francisco, CA

Owner
Gap, Inc.

Status
Completed 2001

Key Team Members
Lucinda Sanders, Partner-in-Charge
Skip Graffam, Landscape Architect

Awards
2009, American Society of Landscape Architects Design Honor Award