555 California Street facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 555 California Street |
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| Former names | Bank of America Center |
| Record height | |
| Tallest in San Francisco from 1969 to 1972 | |
| Preceded by | 44 Montgomery |
| Surpassed by | Transamerica Pyramid |
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Commercial offices |
| Location | 555 California Street San Francisco, California |
| Coordinates | 37°47′31″N 122°24′14″W / 37.7919°N 122.4038°W |
| Elevation | 35 ft (11 m) |
| Completed | 1969 |
| Owner | Vornado Realty Trust (70%) The Trump Organization (30%) |
| Management | HWA 555 Owners LLC |
| Height | |
| Roof | 779 ft (237 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 52 4 below ground |
| Floor area | 1,969,979 sq ft (183,017.0 m2) |
| Lifts/elevators | 38 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Skidmore, Owings and Merrill Wurster, Benardi and Emmons |
| Developer | HWA 555 Owners LLC |
| Structural engineer | H. J. Brunnier Associates |
| Main contractor | Dinwiddie Construction |
555 California Street, once called Bank of America Center, is a huge 52-story skyscraper in San Francisco, California. It stands about 779 ft (237 m) tall. As of February 2021, it is the fourth tallest building in the city. In 2013, it was the largest building in San Francisco based on its floor area.
Completed in 1969, this tower was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. It held this title until the Transamerica Pyramid was finished in 1972. The building was the main office for Bank of America until 1998. After a merger, the company moved its main office to Charlotte, North Carolina. Today, the building is owned by Vornado Realty Trust and The Trump Organization.
Contents
About the Building's Design
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People sometimes call 555 California Street "Triple Five" or "Triple Nickel." It was built to show how important and powerful Bank of America was. Famous architects like Wurster, Bernardi and Emmons and Skidmore, Owings and Merrill designed it. Pietro Belluschi also helped as a consultant.
When it was finished, it was one of the tallest buildings in the United States. It was just a little bit taller or shorter than other big buildings across the country. As of February 2021, it is the 89th tallest building in the United States.
The skyscraper has thousands of special windows called bay windows. These windows were added to make the offices more appealing to rent. They also look like the bay windows often seen in San Francisco homes. The unique cutouts near the top of the building are meant to look like the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Plaza and Art
On the north side of the skyscraper, there is a large open area called a plaza. This plaza is named after A.P. Giannini, who founded Bank of America.
In the plaza, you can find a huge 200-ton black granite sculpture. It is called "Transcendence" and was made by Masayuki Nagare. Many people in San Francisco know it as the "Banker's Heart." Almost the entire block around the building, including the plaza and sidewalks, is covered in expensive polished granite.
There used to be a restaurant called the "Carnelian Room" on the 52nd floor. The elevator that went to this restaurant was one of the fastest public elevators in San Francisco. The restaurant closed on New Year's Eve in 2009.
The building stands about 35 feet (11 m) above sea level. This means the very top of the building is over 800 feet (240 m) high. Along with the Transamerica Pyramid, 555 California Street shows how downtown San Francisco was growing in the 1960s. Later, in the 1970s and 1980s, there were efforts to stop building so many tall buildings. This made new developments move to the south of Market Street area. The Transamerica Pyramid has a taller spire, but 555 California Street has more usable space for offices.
In 2018, a study by the United States Geological Survey mentioned 555 California Street. It was on a list of buildings that might have issues with their welding during a very strong earthquake.
Ownership and Tenants
In 2007, Vornado Realty Trust bought a 70% share of the building. The remaining 30% is still owned by The Trump Organization.
The building makes a lot of money from rent. It is one of the biggest properties owned by The Trump Organization.
Major Companies Inside
Many different companies have offices in 555 California Street. Some of the main tenants include:
- AllianceBernstein
- Bank of America
- Bank of India
- Qatar Investment Authority
In Movies and More
Since it opened in 1969, some people have said that 555 California Street is haunted. They report strange things happening, like cold spots, phones lifting themselves, and papers flying off shelves.
The building has appeared in several famous movies:
- In the 1971 film Dirty Harry, the roof of 555 California Street was used for a scene. The movie also shows amazing views of San Francisco from the top of the building.
- In the 1974 disaster movie The Towering Inferno, the plaza outside 555 California Street was used. It pretended to be the plaza of the fictional "Glass Tower" in the movie. Many scenes were also filmed inside the lobby.
- The granite stairs leading up to the A.P. Giannini plaza were used for important scenes, including the opening ceremony and the arrival of fire trucks.
- The rooftop from Dirty Harry was also used in the 1981 film An Eye for an Eye starring Chuck Norris.
- You can even see the building being built in the 1968 movie Bullitt.
- The building is also featured as a landmark in the 2003 video game SimCity 4, using its old name.
See also
In Spanish: 555 California Street para niños
