ILLUMINATE SF

SAN FRANCISCO AT NIGHT: MODEL ART MAP

Lisa Gemmiti (2011)

Permanent

Yerba Buena: 181 Third Street, W SF Hotel Lobby (view map)

Architects for the interior of the W Hotel designed the modern lobby with a San Francisco theme, and they needed a sculptural piece to represent The City at night. Using photographs as inspiration, Lisa Gemmiti and her team sculpted San Francisco at Night: Model Art Map with precision and artistic license. The topography was machined with a 2.5x vertical exaggeration to emphasize the changes in grade. 2,000 LEDs in four colors were installed on four circuits in order to set the intensity of each circuit in place. A little fun was added by using red LEDs to represent points of interest in San Francisco, and a single purple LED designated the W Hotel.

Best Viewing: Walk in the Howard Street entrance to view this piece behind the illuminated check-in desks. It's installed on the wall against patterned, perforated panels that represent San Francisco's celebrated fog.

Presenting Sponsor


5M is a new, vibrant mixed-use destination in the heart of San Francisco located at the intersection of 5th and Mission streets. Developed by Brookfield Properties, named “Developer of the Year” by the San Francisco Business Times in 2021, the four-acre parcel was previously home to parking lots and underutilized buildings. Now, it has been transformed into a lively community for locals and visitors alike.