San Jose’s Tallest Residential High Rise Opens Doors

The 88, San Jose’s newest high-rise residential tower was recently completed; it’s the tallest residential building between San Francisco and Los Angeles, standing one foot taller than the new city hall just blocks away and making a dramatic impact on the city’s changing skyline.

The first phase incorporates 197 condominium units in 22 levels above grade with above grade parking and three levels below grade parking. It includes a fifth level podium with a pool and other amenities. The 88 is a reinforced concrete structure with combination curtainwall/precast/metal panel skin. The project includes a new city street and 32,000 sq ft of ground level retail.

Designed by San Francisco-based SB Architects, The 88 juxtaposes a graceful, residential tower with a mid-rise, mixed-use structure below. The for-sale residences enjoy panoramic views of the city and the valley beyond, and overlook private amenities – a pool, fitness center, terrace and outdoor lounge, entertaining center and billiards room – located on the podium. A ground level pedestrian plaza flanked by shops and restaurants will provide a central spine and gathering place between The 88 and a planned second tower.

HKS served as executive architect on the project and Webcor Builders was the general contractor.

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“To respond to the challenge of creating a signature tower, while remaining under the height limit of downtown San Jose, we came up with a tower design that combines two interlocking masses – one glass, to take advantage of views of the surrounding hills, and one concrete, to provide a sense of solidity and connection to the mixed-use structure below,” says Tom Sprinkle, vice president and principal of SB Architects.

Sprinkle says that on the roof, an angled cap with a sheer white surface on its largest side cloaks the roof-top infrastructure systems and provides a contrasting element to complement the angles and vertical lines of the 22 floors below.

“The distinctive architecture of The 88 is a statement to the region that downtown San Jose is coming into its own,” says Seth Bland, project manager and partner at Wilson Meany Sullivan, developers of the project.

The first of four new high-rise residential structures currently on the rise in downtown San Jose, The 88 not only changes the city’s skyline, it brings a whole new type of living to the Silicon Valley. Located just blocks from the San Jose State University, the San Jose Museum of Art, the Tech Museum of Innovation, downtown theaters and restaurants, the new tower is also located directly adjacent to the city’s light rail system. All together, the city’s four new high-rise projects will bring 853 new residences to downtown.

After years of planning, San Jose is joining cities all over the country in promoting the redevelopment of their downtowns to offer a distinctly urban lifestyle. “In terms of residential, this is the first time we’ve seen this kind of density in downtown. This represents a change in how people live,” says John Weis, of the city’s redevelopment agency.

The 88 represents a joint effort by San Francisco-based Wilson Meany Sullivan and Stockbridge Funds, Hollywood-based CIM Group, and the San Jose Redevelopment Agency to turn this suburban downtown into a major urban destination on par with its ranking as the 10th most populous city in the nation.

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