San Francisco’s Union Square Station features an innovative glass floor/roof system that welcomes commuters into the hub. The decorative glass fabricated by Pulp Studio offers a functional walking surface aboveground, and a safe space below with so much daylight, it doesn’t feel like it’s below ground.

Embedded in the layers of glass artwork created by artists Jennifer Starkweather and Amanda Hughen, titled Convergence: Commute Patterns, is a map of San Francisco with colored circles that reference commute pattern densities. The commuter activates the artwork as they enter the subway station, creating a real-time layering of abstraction (shapes and lines) and its source materials (commuters and topography).

Pulp Studio used durable digital ceramic prints with non-slip mini dot top lite to allow for clear viewing of the graphic from below. Safti First supplied 1,300 square feet of fire-resistive glass to continue an open, artistic feeling, with light flowing down through each floor. The white cladding throughout the station is StoneGlass by Pulp Studio.

Team:
Glazier: ACR Contracting
Glass floor: Safti First Fire Rated Glazing Systems
Decorative Glass: Pulp Studio
Artists: Hughen/Starkweather
Architect: Robin Chiang and Company
General contractor: Tutor Perini