Events: Building Event

In celebration of the San Francisco Ferry Building day, July 13th, artist Kenny Paul and the Ferry Building is proud to display the one-of-a-kind Lego model of the Ferry Building.

About the project, words by artist Kenny Paul:

An earlier version of the iconic San Francisco Ferry Building in LEGO was built by Mark Benz between 2012-13. It was an award winning model at the 2017 Bricks By The Bay convention.  Upon moving out of the area in 2021 Mark donated his model to me. The bones of the model were there, but it had been stored for a number of years and needed some tender loving care to restore it back to its original state.

As I was considering the restoration, I noted that there were many new specialized LEGO elements available now that didn’t exist a decade ago. Similarly there were plenty of online pics and high-definition drone footage I could use for reference that also weren’t available back then. This meant the model could now be made far more detailed than was previously possible. Ultimately I decided to do a complete tear-down and rebuild from the ground up using some of the core design concepts (and all of the bricks) from Mark’s original model, but modifying virtually every aspect of it in one way or another.

This updated version is taller, longer and wider than the original, but still far from being “correct”; a scale model in LEGO would be about 8 feet long.

How Many Bricks?  I did not count the individual pieces but estimated there to be approximately 12,500.

How long did it take?  The overall duration was a year and a half, but there were a couple stretches where it just sat there on the bench mocking me. Conservatively I’d put it at 450 hours, which also includes countless hours of looking at photos and drone footage

How much does it weigh?  34 pounds

Do you cut or glue any pieces?  No. Nothing is cut and the only time I ever glue anything is on the rare occasion where I’ve accidentally broken a piece and I don’t have a replacement on hand. This model has one broken window on the back side that I glued back together so that I could finish that section rather than ordering a new one.

Did you have instructions? No, it was mostly all trial and error to figure out the best way  to do something. Where I could I did rely on Mark’s original design concepts in several different areas as a starting point rather than going completely back to the drawing board for everything.  For example he’d already figured the appropriate dimensions of the clock tower so I could use photos of that as a reference point as I built a new one.

What was the most difficult thing to do? The large front and side windows were the most challenging and time consuming, but surprisingly the smaller details tend to be the trickiest.  Working in LEGO you are limited to both the part and color selection. The perfect part you need may not be made in the color you need, so you may get half way through something only to find out you can’t make it work and you need to start over. I spent several evenings fiddling with one of the air conditioning units until I got a design I was happy with.

Where did you get the parts? The bulk of the parts came from Mark’s original model which I took apart brick-by-brick, and a lot came from my own stock of parts.  Where I needed additional parts I purchased from several different sellers on bricklink.com, including a couple of international orders.

How do you move it? It is built modularly- The clock tower is in 2 sections and the building is in 3 sections, the center and both wings. The roof sections where they all meet up come off, as does the PORT OF SAN FRANCISCO sign. The whole thing goes together and comes apart in less than 5 minutes.

About the artist:

Kenny Paul is an award winning “Adult Fan of LEGO” (AFoL).  He was a contributing builder on the Mythbusters’ Giant LEGO Ball (episode #117), finished second in a competition for one of LEGO’s Master Model Builder positions, has scale models of farm equipment in the permanent collection of a local museum, and was one of the three people that collaborated on constructing the exhibit of the Immigration Station as it existed during WWII which you can see by taking a ferry right across the bay to Angel Island State Park.

Prior to moving to Rio Vista, he was well known for the 120 square foot LEGO train display he built out of his Newark garage every holiday season that sometimes drew 300 visitors a day. For more info please see  https://www.facebook.com/PaulFamilyTrain

Urban Tides: A San Francisco Story is a first-time group art exhibition at the Ferry Building Marketplace. This exhibit is a love letter to the city, its ebbs and flows, and the stories of its residents.

Celebrating the second annual “Ferry Building Day” in San Francisco, Urban Tides is a group exhibition revealing the Bay Area’s enchanting essence, showcasing the Ferry Building as a beacon where urban energy meets natural beauty. This vibrant collection celebrates the city’s unique blend of innovation and elegance, serving as a gateway to the heart of San Francisco.

These stunning artworks have been selected from hundreds of open call submissions by our panel of judges from Voss Gallery, SFMOMA, Asian Art Museum, ArtSpan, the Port of San Francisco, and the Ferry Building.

Exhibited Artists

We are thrilled to exhibit the work of Bay Area artists: Sabin Filip, Zoltan Toth, Meredith Steele, Christina Kent, Tatiana Carvalho, Erin Fong, Andy Stattmiller, Samanta Tello, Suze Riley, Sarah Newton, Emmanuel Schnetzler, Sophia Lee, Krystal Lauk, Nathaniel J Bice, Natasha Prats, Camila Fernandez, Alice Koswara, Rob Cox, Natalie Friedman, and Carolynn Haydu.

Read the artist statements here! 

Pictured artwork by Sabin Filip

Make Ferry Building visits part of your family’s summer weekend ritual! Experience the vibrance of the Marketplace and participate in family-friendly activities. Afterwards, treat yourself to gourmet fare from merchants and bask in the sunshine and waterfront breeze on our outdoor plazas! 

Schedule of Activities:

• July 7th: Shop at HEAD WEST Market, Gardeneur Plant Market, and compete in a game of cornhole or Jenga by Fort Point Beer Garden!
• July 14th: Celebrate annual “Ferry Building Day” in San Francisco by making your own watercolor Ferry Building fan art keepsake.
• July 21st: It’s International Chess Day, we’re going big, literally! Challenge a friend to a supersized game of chess sets on the plaza.
• July 28th: Get in the Olympic spirit with an archery game on the plaza or get crafty for your pets by creating them a unique wearable ID tag!

Take advantage of $10 flat-rate parking starting at 11:00AM on Sundays at the Embarcadero Parking Lot (301 Embarcadero).

All Summer Sunday activities are free and open to the public.

An hour of yoga during your lunch hour is a great way to get out of your office, love your body in community, reconnect to your breath, listen to soulful tunes, and recharge your energy for the day. We’re so glad you choose to spend this precious time with us!

This vinyasa yoga classes combine accessible and creative flows, dynamic stretching, and core work. All-levels flow moves at a steady, accessible pace so you can slow down, connect to each movement and breath, while still offering some challenge. Headphones are provided to create an immersive sound experience, so it’s easy to hear the teacher, to stay present with the practice, and to enjoy a mix of zen and fun soulful beats!

Please bring your own mat. 

In celebration of the San Francisco Ferry Building day, July 13th, artist Kenny Paul and the Ferry Building is proud to display the one-of-a-kind Lego model of the Ferry Building.

About the project, words by artist Kenny Paul:

An earlier version of the iconic San Francisco Ferry Building in LEGO was built by Mark Benz between 2012-13. It was an award winning model at the 2017 Bricks By The Bay convention.  Upon moving out of the area in 2021 Mark donated his model to me. The bones of the model were there, but it had been stored for a number of years and needed some tender loving care to restore it back to its original state.

As I was considering the restoration, I noted that there were many new specialized LEGO elements available now that didn’t exist a decade ago. Similarly there were plenty of online pics and high-definition drone footage I could use for reference that also weren’t available back then. This meant the model could now be made far more detailed than was previously possible. Ultimately I decided to do a complete tear-down and rebuild from the ground up using some of the core design concepts (and all of the bricks) from Mark’s original model, but modifying virtually every aspect of it in one way or another.

This updated version is taller, longer and wider than the original, but still far from being “correct”; a scale model in LEGO would be about 8 feet long.

How Many Bricks?  I did not count the individual pieces but estimated there to be approximately 12,500.

How long did it take?  The overall duration was a year and a half, but there were a couple stretches where it just sat there on the bench mocking me. Conservatively I’d put it at 450 hours, which also includes countless hours of looking at photos and drone footage

How much does it weigh?  34 pounds

Do you cut or glue any pieces?  No. Nothing is cut and the only time I ever glue anything is on the rare occasion where I’ve accidentally broken a piece and I don’t have a replacement on hand. This model has one broken window on the back side that I glued back together so that I could finish that section rather than ordering a new one.

Did you have instructions? No, it was mostly all trial and error to figure out the best way  to do something. Where I could I did rely on Mark’s original design concepts in several different areas as a starting point rather than going completely back to the drawing board for everything.  For example he’d already figured the appropriate dimensions of the clock tower so I could use photos of that as a reference point as I built a new one.

What was the most difficult thing to do? The large front and side windows were the most challenging and time consuming, but surprisingly the smaller details tend to be the trickiest.  Working in LEGO you are limited to both the part and color selection. The perfect part you need may not be made in the color you need, so you may get half way through something only to find out you can’t make it work and you need to start over. I spent several evenings fiddling with one of the air conditioning units until I got a design I was happy with.

Where did you get the parts? The bulk of the parts came from Mark’s original model which I took apart brick-by-brick, and a lot came from my own stock of parts.  Where I needed additional parts I purchased from several different sellers on bricklink.com, including a couple of international orders.

How do you move it? It is built modularly- The clock tower is in 2 sections and the building is in 3 sections, the center and both wings. The roof sections where they all meet up come off, as does the PORT OF SAN FRANCISCO sign. The whole thing goes together and comes apart in less than 5 minutes.

About the artist:

Kenny Paul is an award winning “Adult Fan of LEGO” (AFoL).  He was a contributing builder on the Mythbusters’ Giant LEGO Ball (episode #117), finished second in a competition for one of LEGO’s Master Model Builder positions, has scale models of farm equipment in the permanent collection of a local museum, and was one of the three people that collaborated on constructing the exhibit of the Immigration Station as it existed during WWII which you can see by taking a ferry right across the bay to Angel Island State Park.

Prior to moving to Rio Vista, he was well known for the 120 square foot LEGO train display he built out of his Newark garage every holiday season that sometimes drew 300 visitors a day. For more info please see  https://www.facebook.com/PaulFamilyTrain

Urban Tides: A San Francisco Story is a first-time group art exhibition at the Ferry Building Marketplace. This exhibit is a love letter to the city, its ebbs and flows, and the stories of its residents.

Celebrating the second annual “Ferry Building Day” in San Francisco, Urban Tides is a group exhibition revealing the Bay Area’s enchanting essence, showcasing the Ferry Building as a beacon where urban energy meets natural beauty. This vibrant collection celebrates the city’s unique blend of innovation and elegance, serving as a gateway to the heart of San Francisco.

These stunning artworks have been selected from hundreds of open call submissions by our panel of judges from Voss Gallery, SFMOMA, Asian Art Museum, ArtSpan, the Port of San Francisco, and the Ferry Building.

Exhibited Artists

We are thrilled to exhibit the work of Bay Area artists: Sabin Filip, Zoltan Toth, Meredith Steele, Christina Kent, Tatiana Carvalho, Erin Fong, Andy Stattmiller, Samanta Tello, Suze Riley, Sarah Newton, Emmanuel Schnetzler, Sophia Lee, Krystal Lauk, Nathaniel J Bice, Natasha Prats, Camila Fernandez, Alice Koswara, Rob Cox, Natalie Friedman, and Carolynn Haydu.

Read the artist statements here! 

Pictured artwork by Sabin Filip

Enjoy live music from 4:00 – 6:00 PM on the Ferry Building’s North Plaza next to the Fort Point Beer Garden featuring Bay Area musicians all summer long on Thursdays. Grab your Ferry Building favorites inside the Marketplace and soak up the energy of the waterfront.

Sundown Cinema is back for 2024! For its sixth season, the free outdoor movie series will feature seven films at seven parks across San Francisco.

As always, expect local food, drinks, music, themed pre-show entertainment, and film selections that celebrate the unique character and beauty of San Francisco and its parks! Proceeds support SF Parks Alliance work in these spaces.

Each year, Sundown Cinema celebrates the unique character and beauty of San Francisco’s parks and neighborhoods, and helps sustain these community spaces by donating a portion of proceeds to SF Parks Alliance. The entire series is free and open to the public, but guests are encouraged to RSVP to win reserved seating, or become an SF Parks Alliance member to reserve a seat.

RSVP and event details at dothebay.com/sundowncinema
Become an SF Parks Alliance Member and reserve seats here.

Make Ferry Building visits part of your family’s summer weekend ritual! Experience the vibrance of the Marketplace and participate in family-friendly activities. Afterwards, treat yourself to gourmet fare from merchants and bask in the sunshine and waterfront breeze on our outdoor plazas! 

Schedule of Activities:

• August 4th: It’s game day! Flex your strategy with giant chess, keep the Jenga tower steady, and take your best shot at cornhole with a Fort Point beer in hand!
• August 11th: Reduce, reuse, and recycle in style by making your own coffee cup art with SF Etsy.
• August 18th: Putt-putt for all! Play our outdoor pop-up course on the plaza!
• August 25th: Play with your food! Use natural, food-based dip dyes to create a one-of-a-kind wax-resist artwork.

Take advantage of $10 flat-rate parking starting at 11:00AM on Sundays at the Embarcadero Parking Lot (301 Embarcadero).

All Summer Sunday activities are free and open to the public.

Visit HEAD WEST Marketplace at San Francisco’s beloved Ferry Building! Every first Sunday of the month, Head West will bring Bay Area Makers, Crafters, Designers, Artists + Vintage Merchants to the Ferry Building’s beautiful back plaza.

HEAD WEST is a Local, Outdoor Retail Marketplace — created out of the need for accessible and affordable physical space, Founder Jimmy Brower curates an open-air experience that brings together the ideals of the modern maker with the spirit of the traveling vagabond. The marketplace provides an ‘in-real-life’ platform for new, emerging + established brands to have selling space multiple times per month at various iconic and well-known venues around the Bay.

The Mission of HEAD WEST is to provide an environment that supports and embraces local creativity + the spirit of entrepreneurship. Through connecting people, it assists in preserving arts + culture, realizing it’s impact on the local economy + providing for the well-bring of the people that keep these ideals alive. Those creatives + entrepreneurs that identify as BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+ are strongly encouraged to apply.

An hour of yoga during your lunch hour is a great way to get out of your office, love your body in community, reconnect to your breath, listen to soulful tunes, and recharge your energy for the day. We’re so glad you choose to spend this precious time with us!

This vinyasa yoga classes combine accessible and creative flows, dynamic stretching, and core work. All-levels flow moves at a steady, accessible pace so you can slow down, connect to each movement and breath, while still offering some challenge. Headphones are provided to create an immersive sound experience, so it’s easy to hear the teacher, to stay present with the practice, and to enjoy a mix of zen and fun soulful beats!

Please bring your own mat. 

Enjoy live music from 4:00 – 6:00 PM on the Ferry Building’s North Plaza next to the Fort Point Beer Garden featuring Bay Area musicians all summer long on Thursdays. Grab your Ferry Building favorites inside the Marketplace and soak up the energy of the waterfront.

Make Ferry Building visits part of your family’s summer weekend ritual! Experience the vibrance of the Marketplace and participate in family-friendly activities. Afterwards, treat yourself to gourmet fare from merchants and bask in the sunshine and waterfront breeze on our outdoor plazas! 

Schedule of Activities:

• August 4th: It’s game day! Flex your strategy with giant chess, keep the Jenga tower steady, and take your best shot at cornhole with a Fort Point beer in hand!
• August 11th: Reduce, reuse, and recycle in style by making your own coffee cup art with SF Etsy.
• August 18th: Putt-putt for all! Play our outdoor pop-up course on the plaza!
• August 25th: Play with your food! Use natural, food-based dip dyes to create a one-of-a-kind wax-resist artwork.

Take advantage of $10 flat-rate parking starting at 11:00AM on Sundays at the Embarcadero Parking Lot (301 Embarcadero).

All Summer Sunday activities are free and open to the public.

Visit us on the north end of the Ferry Building Marketplace to artfully design your own coffee mug or cup!

Stop by Acme with your new cup and receive a free coffee with any purchase of $5 or more from 11 AM to 2 PM.

This activity is free and open to the public while supplies last. Acme baked goods are sold separately at their Ferry Building shop.

An hour of yoga during your lunch hour is a great way to get out of your office, love your body in community, reconnect to your breath, listen to soulful tunes, and recharge your energy for the day. We’re so glad you choose to spend this precious time with us!

This vinyasa yoga classes combine accessible and creative flows, dynamic stretching, and core work. All-levels flow moves at a steady, accessible pace so you can slow down, connect to each movement and breath, while still offering some challenge. Headphones are provided to create an immersive sound experience, so it’s easy to hear the teacher, to stay present with the practice, and to enjoy a mix of zen and fun soulful beats!

Please bring your own mat. 

Enjoy live music from 4:00 – 6:00 PM on the Ferry Building’s North Plaza next to the Fort Point Beer Garden featuring Bay Area musicians all summer long on Thursdays. Grab your Ferry Building favorites inside the Marketplace and soak up the energy of the waterfront.

Make Ferry Building visits part of your family’s summer weekend ritual! Experience the vibrance of the Marketplace and participate in family-friendly activities. Afterwards, treat yourself to gourmet fare from merchants and bask in the sunshine and waterfront breeze on our outdoor plazas! 

Schedule of Activities:

• August 4th: It’s game day! Flex your strategy with giant chess, keep the Jenga tower steady, and take your best shot at cornhole with a Fort Point beer in hand!
• August 11th: Reduce, reuse, and recycle in style by making your own coffee cup art with SF Etsy.
• August 18th: Putt-putt for all! Play our outdoor pop-up course on the plaza!
• August 25th: Play with your food! Use natural, food-based dip dyes to create a one-of-a-kind wax-resist artwork.

Take advantage of $10 flat-rate parking starting at 11:00AM on Sundays at the Embarcadero Parking Lot (301 Embarcadero).

All Summer Sunday activities are free and open to the public.

An hour of yoga during your lunch hour is a great way to get out of your office, love your body in community, reconnect to your breath, listen to soulful tunes, and recharge your energy for the day. We’re so glad you choose to spend this precious time with us!

This vinyasa yoga classes combine accessible and creative flows, dynamic stretching, and core work. All-levels flow moves at a steady, accessible pace so you can slow down, connect to each movement and breath, while still offering some challenge. Headphones are provided to create an immersive sound experience, so it’s easy to hear the teacher, to stay present with the practice, and to enjoy a mix of zen and fun soulful beats!

Please bring your own mat. 

Enjoy live music from 4:00 – 6:00 PM on the Ferry Building’s North Plaza next to the Fort Point Beer Garden featuring Bay Area musicians all summer long on Thursdays. Grab your Ferry Building favorites inside the Marketplace and soak up the energy of the waterfront.

Make Ferry Building visits part of your family’s summer weekend ritual! Experience the vibrance of the Marketplace and participate in family-friendly activities. Afterwards, treat yourself to gourmet fare from merchants and bask in the sunshine and waterfront breeze on our outdoor plazas! 

Schedule of Activities:

• August 4th: It’s game day! Flex your strategy with giant chess, keep the Jenga tower steady, and take your best shot at cornhole with a Fort Point beer in hand!
• August 11th: Reduce, reuse, and recycle in style by making your own coffee cup art with SF Etsy.
• August 18th: Putt-putt for all! Play our outdoor pop-up course on the plaza!
• August 25th: Play with your food! Use natural, food-based dip dyes to create a one-of-a-kind wax-resist artwork.

Take advantage of $10 flat-rate parking starting at 11:00AM on Sundays at the Embarcadero Parking Lot (301 Embarcadero).

All Summer Sunday activities are free and open to the public.