San Francisco - Embarcadero Center

The Embarcadero Center complex fully deserves its reputation as one of the most interesting and original examples of urban renewal. The eight buildings - five skyscrapers of between 32 and 34 storeys, the 20-storey Hyatt Regency Hotel, the Park Hyatt San Francisco Hotel and the completely renovated Federal Reserve Bank - are the work of John Portman, an architect from Atlanta.

The first four skyscrapers, constructed between 1971 and 1982, are linked by pedestrian walkways providing access to more than 140 shops and restaurants. The fifth tower (Embarcadero Central West) was completed in 1988.

Because San Francisco's weather is so mild, people spend a lot of time in the open air. Particularly at midday considerable crowds gather in the plazas set on different levels between the buildings. Sculptures by a number of well-known artists adorn several of these open spaces.