525 Olive is a LEED Certified® 20-story mixed-use residential tower overlooking San Diego, CA's celebrated 1200-acre Balboa Park. The project shares its site with St. Paul’s Cathedral in a collaboration between developer Greystar, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
The tower’s modest architecture consists of a concrete frame wrapped in a floor-to-ceiling aluminum storefront system and a warm, satin bronze slab fascia. The southwest portion of the highest occupied floor is reserved for a double-height sky deck topped with a rounded roof structure finished in a silver-grey metal paneling. Large openings carve out portions of the structure, serving as atmospheric funnels, allowing daylighting to permeate the sky deck from open air above. The interiors share the selective palette of materials and finishes and refined architectural form, harmonizing to create 525 Olive's unique identity and branding.
The 417,500 SF development contains 204 market rate and affordable apartments ranging from studios to three-bedrooms, and designed to condominium standards. Project amenities include 17,000 SF of office and meeting space supporting the cathedral’s ministry, a 10,000 SF ground floor plaza, fitness room, and sky deck equipped with a pool and BBQ area. Parking for 348 vehicles is provided in a five-level subterranean parking structure.