Two new ferry terminals address the practical — sea level rise — with style

The new Richmond Ferry Terminal by Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects adds a contemporary element to Richmond's waterfront. The new Richmond Ferry Terminal by Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects adds a contemporary element to Richmond's waterfront. Photo: John King / The Chronicle Photo: John King / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Two new ferry terminals address the practical — sea level rise — with style 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

The Bay Area’s ever-expanding ferry service does more than move commuters back and forth. It also strengthens our connections to the body of water that gives this region its name.

Certainly that’s the case with the newest points of access: a terminal in Richmond and two additional gates on San Francisco’s Embarcadero. Architecturally, each delivers infrastructure with a flourish. Challenges posed by sea level rise shape the design even as shoreline access is enhanced.

Together, the projects recall a time when ferries were essential forms of transportation — while responding to our present desire for a waterfront that’s as public as can be.

The larger endeavor is the pair of gates just south of San Francisco’s Ferry Building, one of which premiered on Thursday, while the other opened in December. They’re part of a $99 million upgrade to the terminal’s overall service that includes a canopied bayside promenade, plus a third gate and a plaza on the Embarcadero. Both should be completed early next year.

Richmond’s upgrade isn’t nearly so elaborate: The “terminal” consists of a snug sheltered passage leading to a gangway and then a floating dock. Along the water, an attractive landscaped path concludes in a small viewing deck with benches.

Weekday-only service began on Jan. 10, and unlike a failed expansion effort in 1999, this one has guaranteed funding. It also has a prominent Marina Bay location next to the restored Ford Assembly Building from 1931 that’s now home to a variety of businesses and Craneway Pavilion.

Smartly, the design by Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects is a streamlined counterpoint to the massive yellow-brick bays of the industrial landmark. In essence it’s a 65-foot-long, right-angled tube, with clear glass facing the water and an open screen of twisting bronze-colored metal blades manufactured by Nor-Cal Metal Fabricators of Oakland.

Add gray aluminum letters announcing “FERRY” that face the stub end of Harbour Way, and an illuminated “RICHMOND” greeting commuters as they return home, and you have a calling card for the new service.

“We want the entire experience to be a little different, a little special,” said Michael Gougherty, a senior planner for the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority, which operates the ferry system. “Riding transit should be a quality experience.”

The Richmond terminal sets itself apart. San Francisco’s ties back into tradition.

The new gates behind the Agriculture Building near Pier 14 aren’t a beachhead: The number of weekday riders has doubled since 2012 to 10,000. Lines of commuters heading home after 5 p.m. often snake alongside the stately icon built in 1898, when ferries were the only cross-bay option.

With that landmark in mind, Roma Design Group gives the gate portals a classical look. Robust, too, since they’re skinned in blocks of gray granite shipped from Minnesota.

Photo: Paul Chinn / The Chronicle Commuters wait to board at the new ferry terminal in Richmond.

The newcomers update the first pair of gates from 2001, which Roma also designed for the Port of San Francisco. The portals are a bit shorter, while the gangplank’s metal frame and fabric canopy should hold up better over time. My one quibble is that the heavy, manually operated doors on the earlier generation have been replaced by sliding doors.

Atmosphere gives way to efficiency.

Whether or not harried commuters pause to take in the architectural details, they’ll notice the biggest change in terms of how this stretch of the city meets the bay. The promenade serving the new gates is set more than 3 feet above the Embarcadero and the existing walkway behind the Ferry Building. The plaza will be, as well.

Why? Because the new elevations are keyed to the likelihood of sea level rise, and the state’s projections for where the bay might be in 2070. The foot-high concrete curb on the promenade’s outer edge aligns with the projections for 2100.

Ascend the aluminum bridge from the Embarcadero to Gates F and G. Look down at the scaffolded Agriculture Building alongside you. The contrast is stark. (The Richmond terminal also is aligned with the anticipated future, but alongside a parking lot you don’t notice it.)

Though the extra height is sobering, it’s also a welcome sign that local governmental agencies are starting to face the implications of climate change head-on.

What with the setbacks to California’s high-speed rail project, the often-grungy realities of Muni and BART, and last week’s shower of concrete on the Richmond-San Rafael bridge, the Bay Area’s transportation scene has seen better days.

The waterfront upgrades in Richmond and San Francisco offer a different vision — a confident future where substance and style are paired. Which isn’t a bad scenario at all.

John King is The San Francisco Chronicle’s urban design critic. Email: jking@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @johnkingsfchron