MIRA, Modern residential skyscraper in Spear Street, San Francisco, US

MIRA is a 39-story, 422-foot residential tower at 280 Spear Street, on the northwest corner of Folsom and Spear Streets. Its facade of blue glass in white frames is set in angled bay windows that ripple across the surface, with metal-railed balconies projecting from some panes. The tower rises from a lower dark brick structure, and the project also includes an eight-story podium and a row of townhomes.

MIRA occupies part of the former right-of-way of the demolished Embarcadero Freeway. The parcel was zoned for 300 feet but was upzoned to 400 feet after the developer raised the affordable-housing share from 33% to 40%. It was sold to Tishman Speyer in 2016, Shanghai Longlife Business Group took a 50% stake in March 2017, and construction began in April 2017. The tower topped out in May 2019 and was completed in 2020.

The building brings together the traditional San Francisco bay window style with modern architecture through its spiral pattern. This design reflects a local building tradition you can see throughout the city.

The complex sits in the financial district with easy access to public transportation and pedestrian paths. You can view the building from multiple angles from the street and see the spiral glass patterns clearly from the ground level.

Each unit in the building features bay windows created by the rippled exterior design, meaning no two homes have the same layout. This structural feature gives every resident a different interior experience.