The iconic wind baffle structures that anchor The Parks at 5M—a new, vibrant community connected to the surrounding fabric of San Francisco’s SOMA District by a cohesive network of public spaces—are the brainchild of !melk, an award-winning urban design and landscape architecture firm. Built to mitigate wind, the baffles or “wind breakers” are artfully illuminated from the outside and complemented with a soft glow that radiates through the perforations in the upper zones. Though made from steel, a material associated with heaviness and industry, the baffles are often referred to as “flowers” for their stem and leaf-like design elements. Come nightfall, they transform into breathtaking sculptures and suddenly seem to float.
The Wind-Baffles are part of the Illuminate SF Festival of Light, which, in 2022-23 will present over 60 installations, in 17 neighborhoods, by over 40 artists, throughout San Francisco.