Click on photo to see night view

(The view from Castro St. looking across Central Expwy. toward the bay.)


THE LANDMARK TOWER

Great cities often have landmarks at important intersections. It is both an expression of the city spirit and a visual compass for its people. Washington DC has them, Paris has them. In Silicon Valley, we've been living in 1-story "tilt-up land" for so long that we could be called "flatlanders".

I've lived in Silicon Valley for 35 yrs and in Mountain View for 18 and have often wondered where is the "mountain" in Mountain View and more importantly, where is the "view" in Mountain View? I'm proposing we change that with a stunning landmark tower at the intersection of Castro Street and the SP tracks and Central Expressway. A tower with a platform to see the architecture of our city set against the Santa Cruz mountains in one direction and the Bay and the Diablo Range beyond in the other direction. Imagine the sunrises, sunsets, and the drama of night above Castro St. It could actually be romantic.

The attached photograph shows a concept of the tower, not a functioning tower that could actually work. The arches of the base would support a 360 degree viewing platform and tower structure. These arches would also be high enough to allow for trains (and The California Bullet!) and any crossing separations in our future. The design should be elegant and classic that would be a visual joy forever. It would be lighted at night much like the "necklace" of the Bay Bridge. It could become a symbol for the valley and for our city in particular. It would provide viewers with a "sense of place" about our "Mountain" and our "View".

In addition, I envision "people pods", sliding along the arches much like ski trams,that would whisk pedestrians from Castro Street to Moffett Blvd. and vice versa. It would also lift viewers to the viewing platform. No more "Death Walks" or delays across Central Expressway and SP tracks. The pods would be large enough for strollers and bikes as well. It would more conveniently link the neighborhoods around Central Ave. and Middlefield Rd. to the downtown. More downtown customers means a healthier downtown.

The operation of the pods should display world-class engineering that is the hallmark of our valley. People should be awed by how it works so simply and efficiently. It should say, "This is a city that knows how". The surprising fact is Mountain View has been on the world stage for some time and we really do "know how".

By now you must be asking, "And just who pays for this little jewel?". I believe there's only one realistic answer - private funding, corporate and private. Everything else appears to be pie in the sky. With the energy in this town, this tower could really happen - it really could. Our livelihoods in this valley have been built by the same creative drive that could light this tower up on some warm summer night. Go down to that spot, look up in the sky... and just imagine.

Allen Price
alprice@gothotel.com