With a spate of celebrated projects in recent years, there is no shortage of contemporary architecture to see in the San Francisco area, and nearly everyone on our panel recommended a few high-profile projects. The California Academy of Sciences by Renzo Piano in Golden Gate Park topped nearly every list, with the nearby de Young Museum by Herzog and de Meuron and SOM’s Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland close runners up. At the de Young, Mark Harbick points visitors to the Andy Goldsworthy “crack” at the entrance as an often missed but standout feature of the project.

Owen Kennerly recommends Chrissy Field, designed by George Hargreaves, in Golden Gate Park, calling it “an epic undertaking of landscape architecture integrating wet-land restoration, an old military airstrip, and the shear pleasure of place.” Visitors are also welcome to enjoy snacks at the warming hut and check out Chrissy Field Center.