San Francisco's towering skyline is truly unlike anywhere else in the world. With several iconic landmarks comprising it, like our Coit Tower, Ferry Building, and Salesforce Tower, perhaps our most distinctly unique feature is the Transamerica Pyramid. Defined by its immense base and sleek triangular sides tapering to a regal point, all 853 feet and 3,000+ windows of this spectacular architectural feat truly embodies our city's bold creativity.
We've got all the awe-inspiring details behind the pyramid's history and incredible story behind its legendary creation.
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Whether you're in its Financial District home or anywhere else around the Bay Area the unmissable pyramid stands tall watching over all the other buildings, piercing through the thick fog. What sparked the creation of this striking skyscraper was then-Mayor Joseph Alioto's idyllic goal to both establish the tallest skyscraper west of Chicago, as well as define San Francisco as a European-aesthetic destination, with the pyramid akin to the Eiffel Tower of Paris.
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After support and compromises from the Planning Commission, the pyramid was secured, with the environmentally-friendly shape confirmed as such from architect William Pereira to help increase air flow and reduce massive shadows and square-footage in the already dense metropolitan. San Francisco's maritime history of sunken ships from the 1800s were excavated to lay the foundation of the triangular structure in 1969, which was eventually completed in 1972.
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In that year the Transamerica Pyramid loomed as the world's eighth tallest building, with the top-most 211 feet of the spire dedicated as an empty space for light displays, known as its "crown jewel." The building contains 48 floors, a facade of white quartz, and two wings jutting out from either side of the top spire as elevator shafts, which has become integral to its memorable silhouette.
In 1989 the pyramid formidably withstood the Loma Prieta earthquake, and in 1999, the Transamerica company that commissioned it became acquired by Aegon, a Dutch insurance company. Transamerica eventually moved to Baltimore, Maryland, and the building's interior has since been used as office spaces for various insurance and other financial services.
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Currently four cameras are installed around the spire to create a virtual panoramic observation deck to mimic its actual former tourist viewing site which closed after September 11, 2001. There is also the tranquil Transamerica Redwood Park that is nestled at the base of the building, which remains a downtown favorite for its lush greenery that provides a serenely bucolic escape from the city's bustle.
You can visit this Instagrammable futurist feat at 600 Montgomery St, along with its adjacent park for a truly breathtaking look at our city's impressive history. Here is also a clip of what the coveted view is from the top of our marvelous beacon.
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Photography by: Andrew Draper/Unsplash
