San Francisco is full of midblock streets and alleys concealing the city’s interesting nooks and crannies. Some, through a mix of retail and dining activities, have become vibrant conduits full of life while others lie dormant. Campton Place, a small side street half a block from Union Square has the potential to come alive with two existing restaurants and possible storefronts.

Enclosure and identity may aid in generating critical mass. Architect Teresa Sapay designed an installation of oversized lampshades in an array of beautiful colors suspended by cables over Via Monte Napoleone, a famous street in Milan’s highbrow shopping district. This simple idea could be adapted to provide a unifying identity for Campton Place.

In collaboration with a local landscape architect and civil engineer, we hope to generate a design concept that will inspire building owners on Campton Place to bring life to this undiscovered urban gem.