Market Street, San Francisco

Creating a colorful corridor for San Francisco’s iconic Castro District

As Market Street, an essential thoroughfare in San Francisco, enters the Castro District, a long row of palm trees bisects the corridor, adding a leafy landscape to one of the city’s most vibrant neighborhoods. Looking to create a colorful entrance to the Castro, the City of San Francisco’s department of Public Works collaborated with WE-EF to craft a bespoke uplighting solution for the palm trees on Market Street.

Key considerations

WE-EF’s ETC140-GB-CC inground luminaires were selected for their marine-grade aluminum to withstand San Francisco’s foggy conditions and 5CE+ Primer anti-corrosion coating for long-lasting performance backed by a 10-year warranty. Factory sealing paired with stable housings and outer lenses, ensure robustness and longevity. The round, recessed gimbal version offers 360° rotatable and 30° tiltable, customizable uplighting.

A lighting solution for celebrations

Our team was on-site to assist with installation and set-up. Our engineering team supported the controls layout and selection and wrote the programming for the city to be able to change the colors to celebrate holidays and significant events, including Pride Month and local sports team wins. For nearly a mile along Market Street, 102 inground luminaires cast over 50 palm trees in an array of color. The installation of the ETC140s create a colorful corridor across the Castro, illuminating the palm tree canopy and highlighting the vibrant character of the neighborhood.

Credits

San Francisco, California Completed 2023 Owner: City of San Francisco Designer: San Francisco Public Works WE-EF Products: ETC140-GB-CC