Transamerica Pyramid | |
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Location within central San Francisco
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Record height | |
Preceded by | Bank of America Center |
Surpassed by | Salesforce Tower (2017) |
General information | |
Status | Complete |
Type | Commercial offices |
Location | 600 Montgomery Street San Francisco, California |
Coordinates | 37°47′43″N 122°24′10″W / 37.7952°N 122.4028°WCoordinates: 37°47′43″N 122°24′10″W / 37.7952°N 122.4028°W |
Construction started | December 1969 |
Completed | 1972 |
Cost | US$32,000,000 |
Owner | Transamerica Corporation |
Management | Cushman & Wakefield |
Height | |
Roof | 853 ft (260 m) |
Top floor | 695 ft (212 m) |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 48 |
Floor area | 702,076 sq ft (65,225.0 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. |
References | |
The Transamerica Pyramid is the tallest skyscraper in the San Francisco skyline. Its height is surpassed by Salesforce Tower, currently under construction. The building no longer houses the headquarters of the Transamerica Corporation, which moved its U.S. headquarters to Baltimore, Maryland, but it is still associated with the company and is depicted in the company's logo. Designed by architect William Pereira and built by Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company, at 853 ft (260 m), on completion in 1972 it was the eighth tallest building in the world.
The Transamerica building was commissioned by Transamerica CEO John (Jack) R. Beckett, with the claim that he wished to allow light in the street below. Built on the site of the historic Montgomery Block, it has a structural height of 853 ft (260 m) and has 48 floors of retail and office space.
Construction began in 1969 and finished in 1972, and was overseen by San Francisco-based contractor Dinwiddie Construction (now Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company). Transamerica moved its headquarters to the new building from across the street, where it had been based in a -shaped building now occupied by the Church of Scientology of San Francisco.
Although the tower is no longer Transamerica Corporation headquarters, it is still associated with the company and is depicted in the company's logo. The building is evocative of San Francisco and has become one of the many symbols of the city. Designed by architect William Pereira, it faced opposition during planning and construction and was sometimes referred to by detractors as "Pereira's Prick". John King of the San Francisco Chronicle summed up the improved opinion of the building in 2009 as "an architectural icon of the best sort - one that fits its location and gets better with age."