Transamerica Pyramid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Transamerica Pyramid |
|
|---|---|
The building in 2015
|
|
| Record height | |
| Tallest in San Francisco from 1969 to 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Bank of America Center |
| Surpassed by | Salesforce Tower |
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Commercial offices |
| Location | 600 Montgomery Street San Francisco, CA |
| Coordinates | 37°47′43″N 122°24′10″W / 37.7952°N 122.4028°W |
| Construction started | December 1969 |
| Completed | 1972 |
| Cost | US$32 million |
| Owner | Michael Shvo |
| Management | Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, Inc. |
| Height | |
| Roof | 853 ft (260 m) |
| Top floor | 695 ft (212 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 48 |
| Floor area | 499,000 sq ft (46,400 m2) |
| Lifts/elevators | 18 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | William L. Pereira & Harry D. Som |
| Structural engineer | Chin & Hensolt, Inc. Glumac International Simonson & Simonson |
| Main contractor | Dinwiddie Construction Co. |
The Transamerica Pyramid is a famous 48-story skyscraper in San Francisco, California. It has a unique pyramid shape and is one of the tallest buildings in the city. You can find it at 600 Montgomery Street in San Francisco's Financial District.
When it was finished in 1972, the Transamerica Pyramid was the tallest building in San Francisco. It held this title until 2018, when the Salesforce Tower became even taller. The building used to be the main office for the Transamerica Corporation. Even though their headquarters moved to Baltimore, Maryland, the pyramid is still a symbol for the company and appears on its logo.
Architect William Pereira designed this amazing building, and Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company built it. It stands 853 feet (260 m) tall. When it was completed, it was the eighth-tallest building in the world! Today, it's a popular spot for tourists to visit. In 2020, a company led by Michael Shvo bought the building. They hired architect Norman Foster in 2022 to update its inside and make it even better.
Contents
Building History
The idea for the Transamerica Pyramid came from John R. Beckett, who was the CEO of Transamerica. He wanted a building that would let more sunlight reach the streets below. The building was constructed on the site of an old landmark called the Montgomery Block. It has 48 floors that are used for shops and offices.
Construction started in 1969 and finished in 1972. The company Dinwiddie Construction, now called Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company, managed the building process. Transamerica moved its main offices into the new pyramid from a nearby building.
Even though Transamerica Corporation no longer has its headquarters here, the building is still strongly linked to the company. It's a well-known symbol of San Francisco. Architect William Pereira's design was quite different, and some people didn't like it at first. However, over time, many people have come to love its unique look. John King, a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, said in 2009 that it's "an architectural icon of the best sort." He felt it fit its location perfectly and looked better with age.
When it was built, the Transamerica Pyramid was the tallest skyscraper west of Chicago. It was taller than the Bank of America Center, which is also in San Francisco. In 1974, the Aon Center in Los Angeles became taller.
In 1999, a Dutch insurance company called Aegon bought Transamerica. Aegon kept the building as an investment. Then, in 2020, SHVO and Deutsche Finance America bought the building for $650 million. In 2022, they started a big renovation project costing $250 million.
The Transamerica Pyramid was San Francisco's tallest skyscraper from 1972 until 2017. That's when the Salesforce Tower, which was still being built, surpassed its height. Experts from the U.S. Geological Survey have studied many tall buildings in San Francisco. They continue to monitor the Transamerica Pyramid's design to ensure it stays safe, especially in an earthquake-prone area.
Building Design
The Transamerica Pyramid has a unique shape. It's a tall, four-sided pyramid with two "wings." One wing holds the elevator shafts, and the other contains a stairwell and a smoke tower for safety. The very top 212 feet (65 m) of the building is a spire.
At the top of the spire, there are four cameras. These cameras point in all four main directions (north, south, east, west). They create the "Transamerica Virtual Observation Deck." In the lobby, visitors can control four monitors to see what the cameras see, 24 hours a day. There used to be an observation deck on the 27th floor, but it closed to the public in 2001. The virtual observation deck replaced it a few years later.
The top of the Transamerica Pyramid is covered with shiny aluminum panels. During special times like Christmas, Independence Day, and the anniversary of 9/11, a bright, twinkling light called the "Crown Jewel" shines from the top.
Gallery
-
Base of the pyramid
-
The Transamerica Pyramid
-
View from Columbus Avenue (2012)
-
View from San Francisco Bay (2017)
-
Looking down on the spire (2016)
-
Aerial view at sunset by Carol Highsmith
-
Viewed from 555 California (2009)
-
Viewed from the Embarcadero (2023)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Redwood Park
At the bottom of the building, there's a beautiful half-acre park called Redwood Park. Tom Galli designed this special public space. Many redwood trees were moved here from the Santa Cruz Mountains when the tower was built. The park is currently closed for renovations.
It has a lovely fountain and pond designed by Anthony Guzzardo. Inside the pond, you can see a bronze sculpture of a jumping frog and lily pads. This sculpture remembers "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" by Mark Twain. There's also a bronze sculpture by Glenna Goodacre showing children playing. Another bronze plaque honors two famous dogs, Bummer and Lazarus, known for catching rats. The park offers benches and tables where people can relax.
Interesting Facts About the Pyramid
- The outside of the building is covered in crushed quartz. This gives the pyramid its light, bright color.
- The four-story base of the building used a huge amount of concrete and over 300 miles (480 km) of steel rebar.
- The building has 3,678 windows!
- The foundation of the building is 9 feet (2.7 m) thick. It was created during a continuous concrete pour that lasted three days and nights. People even threw coins into the pit for good luck!
- Only two of the building's 18 elevators can reach the very top floor.
- The original plan was for an even taller building, about 1,150-foot (350 m) high. However, the city planning commission said no. They worried it would block views of San Francisco Bay from Nob Hill.
- The building stands on the spot where A. P. Giannini's Bank of Italy had a temporary home. This was after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake destroyed its original office. Giannini later founded Transamerica in 1928.
- There's a plaque at the base of the building that remembers the famous dogs, Bummer and Lazarus.
- The remains of the whaling ship Niantic, from the 1849 California Gold Rush, are buried almost directly beneath the pyramid. A historical plaque outside marks this spot.
- At night, the aluminum cap at the top is lit from inside. This makes the building look balanced and beautiful in the dark.
- The two "wings" on the building help create more space inside the upper floors. One wing holds the elevator shafts, and the other is a smoke tower for fire safety.
- A glass pyramid cap sits at the very top. It holds a red aircraft warning light and the brighter "Crown Jewel" beacon.
- Because of the building's unique shape, most of its windows can turn all the way around. This makes them easy to clean from the inside!
- The spire is hollow and has a 100-foot steel stairway inside, followed by two steel ladders.
- The 48th floor has a conference room with amazing 360-degree views of the city.
- Construction started in 1969, and the first businesses moved in during the summer of 1972.
Similar Structures Around the World
- The Shard, a tall building in London
- Burj Khalifa, a very tall building in Dubai
- Ryugyong Hotel, a unique building in Pyongyang
See also
In Spanish: Pirámide Transamerica para niños
- List of tallest buildings in San Francisco
- 49-Mile Scenic Drive
- List of tallest buildings
- List of tallest pyramids
