3 competition finalists propose designs for a new landmark in Silicon Valley

As the largest city in the Silicon Valley, San Jose yearned for a physical structure that would help "define the identity and spirit of this extraordinary region" as explained in the competition's brief. Inspired by the original San Jose Electric Light Tower that stood 1881 to 1915, the San José Light Tower Corporation led an open call inviting architects, landscape architects, urban planners, artists, students, etc. to submit proposal ideas for the city. Part of the competition brief asked for a creative landmark design that encapsulates a net-zero approach, "dramatic lighting" incorporated into the design, and an "impressive physical presence." The competition's jury consisted of architects, planners, landscape architects such as Walter Hood of Hood Design Studio, Julia Czerniak, Associate Dean, and architecture professor Syracuse University, Jerry Van Eyck of !melk, among others. After launching the competition in 2019, 963 design ideas from 72 countries were submitted.  The jury...