The Commons
Fueled by program and audience growth, Headlands enhanced the campus and services to the public with The Commons, a new outdoor space designed to enhance the Headlands experience. The Commons opened in September 2017.
The $1.8 million project—sited between and immediately surrounding Headlands’ two main buildings—reimagined an unpaved parking lot and gravel pathway as a thoughtfully designed outdoor space for art and everyday use. The Commons expands services for artists and visitors with more than 3,000 square feet of new programming space; three newly commissioned permanent artworks; and additional places to gather, relax, and enjoy the area’s renowned natural beauty. The design includes a central plaza, a pedestrian walkway that connects the two main public buildings, and a redesign of the main entryway that is more welcoming and accessible.
Envisioned in partnership with Bay Area-based CMG Landscape Architecture—whose past and current projects include SFMOMA’s rooftop sculpture garden, the Moscone Center expansion, and the redevelopment of Treasure Island as a public art destination—The Commons’ site-appropriate design honors Headlands’ sensitive natural setting and unique history as a former military base. The central plaza includes a concrete overlook and series of terraces that reference military bunkers and shape views toward the nearby Rodeo Lagoon watershed and Gerbode Valley. Eucalyptus and native plants such as lupines, Wyethia, California poppy, and assorted grasses—grown in the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy’s nursery—frame the smaller spaces within The Commons.
In keeping with Headlands’ rich legacy of commissioning artists to rehabilitate and steward our campus, The Commons incorporates three new permanent outdoor artworks: