Transamerica Pyramid - Wikipedia Transamerica Pyramid `` Transamerica Tower '' and `` Transamerica Building '' redirect here. For the building in Baltimore, see Transamerica Tower ( Baltimore ). For the building in Los Angeles, see AT&T Center ( Los Angeles ). Transamerica Pyramid Transamerica Pyramid Location within San Francisco Transamerica Pyramid Transamerica Pyramid ( California ) Transamerica Pyramid Transamerica Pyramid ( the US ) Show map of San Francisco Show map of California Show map of the US Show all 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 ° W ﻿ / 37.7952 ; - 122.4028 Coordinates : 37 ° 47 ′ 43 '' N 122 ° 24 ′ 10 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 37.7952 ° N 122.4028 ° W ﻿ / 37.7952 ; - 122.4028 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 m ) 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 at 600 Montgomery Street between Clay and Washington Streets in the Financial District of San Francisco, California, United States, is a 48 - story futurist building and the second - tallest skyscraper in the San Francisco skyline. Its height is surpassed by Salesforce Tower. 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 feet ( 260 m ), on completion in 1972 it was the eighth - tallest building in the world. Contents 1 History 2 Design 3 Park 4 Specifications 5 Tenants 6 Gallery 7 See also 8 References 9 External links History 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 feet ( 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 flatiron - 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. '' King also wrote in 2011 that it is `` a uniquely memorable building, a triumph of the unexpected, unreal and engaging all at once... It is a presence and a persona, snapping into different focus with every fresh angle, every shift in light. '' The Transamerica Pyramid was the tallest skyscraper west of Chicago when constructed, surpassing the then Bank of America Center, also in San Francisco. It was surpassed by the Aon Center, Los Angeles, in 1974. The building is thought to have been the intended target of a terrorist attack, involving the hijacking of airplanes as part of the Bojinka plot, which was foiled in 1995. In 1999, Transamerica was acquired by Dutch insurance company Aegon. When the non-insurance operations of Transamerica were later sold to GE Capital, Aegon retained ownership of the building as an investment. The Transamerica Pyramid was the tallest skyscraper in San Francisco from 1972 to 2017, when it was surpassed by the under - construction Salesforce Tower. Design The land use and zoning restrictions for the parcel limited the number of square feet of office that could be built upon the lot, which sits at the north boundary of the financial district. The building is a tall, four - sided pyramid with two `` wings '' to accommodate an elevator shaft on the east and a stairwell and a smoke tower on the west. The top 212 feet ( 65 m ) of the building is the spire. There are four cameras pointed in the four cardinal directions at the top of this spire forming the `` Transamerica Virtual Observation Deck. '' Four monitors in the lobby, whose direction and zoom can be controlled by visitors, display the cameras ' views 24 hours a day. An observation deck on the 27th floor was closed : the Pyramid 's official website says that it was closed to the public in 2001, while the New York Times reported that it has been closed `` ( s ) ince the late 1990s ''. It was later replaced by the virtual observation deck a few years later. The video signal from the `` Transamericam '' was used for years by a local TV news station for live views of traffic and weather in downtown San Francisco. The top of the Transamerica Pyramid is covered with aluminum panels. During the Christmas holiday season, on Independence Day, and during the anniversary of 9 / 11, a brightly twinkling beacon called the `` Crown Jewel '' is lit at the top of the pyramid. Park This section needs expansion with : history of the park. You can help by adding to it. ( July 2018 ) At the base of the building is a small private park called Transamerica Redwood Park. It is generally open to the public during the daytime. A number of redwood trees were transplanted from the local area to this park when the tower was built. Specifications This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( June 2018 ) The building 's façade is covered in crushed quartz, giving the building its light color. The four - story base contains 16,000 cubic yards ( 12,000 m ) of concrete and over 300 miles ( 480 km ) of steel rebar. It has 3,678 windows. The building 's foundation is 9 feet ( 2.7 m ) thick, the result of a 3 - day, 24 - hour continuous concrete pour. Several thousand dollars in coins were thrown into the pit by observers surrounding the site at street level during the pouring, for good luck. Only two of the building 's 18 elevators reach the top floor. The original proposal was for a 1,150 - foot ( 350 m ) building, which for a year would have been the second - tallest completed building in the world. The proposal was rejected by the city planning commission, saying it would interfere with views of San Francisco Bay from Nob Hill. The building is on the site that was the temporary home of A.P. Giannini 's Bank of Italy after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake destroyed its office. Giannini founded Transamerica in 1928 as a holding company for his financial empire. Bank of Italy later became Bank of America. There is a plaque commemorating two famous dogs, Bummer and Lazarus, at the base of the building. The hull of the whaling vessel Niantic, an artifact of the 1849 California Gold Rush, lay almost beneath the Transamerica Pyramid, and the location is marked by a historical plaque outside the building ( California Historical Landmark # 88 ). The aluminum cap is indirectly illuminated from within to balance the appearance at night. The two wings increase interior space at the upper levels. One extension is the top of elevator shafts while the other is a smoke evacuation tower for fire - fighting. A glass pyramid cap sits at the top and encloses a red aircraft warning light and the brighter seasonal beacon. Comparison of approximate profiles of the Transamerica Pyramid with some notable pyramidal or near - pyramidal buildings. Dotted lines indicate original heights, where data are available. In its SVG file, hover over a pyramid to highlight and click for its article. Because of the shape of the building, the majority of the windows can pivot 360 degrees so they can be washed from the inside. The spire is actually hollow and lined with a 100 - foot steel stairway at a 60 degree angle, followed by two steel ladders. The conference room ( with 360 degree views of the city ) is located on the 48th floor. Construction began in 1969 and the first tenants moved in during the summer of 1972. Tenants ATEL Capital Group Bank of America Merrill Lynch Incapture Group TSG Consumer Partners Rembrandt Venture Partners URS Corporation Maynard, Cooper & Gale Pantheon Ventures Heller Manus Architects Gallery At twilight, facing north ( 2016 ) From the pedestrian pier on The Embarcadero ( 2015 ) Visible from Alamo Square ( 2011 ) Executed in LEGO bricks at Legoland California ( 2008 ) Entrance and walkway ( 2008 ) Window and concrete details ( 2015 ) Bronze frogs in fountain at park ( 2008 ) From San Francisco Bay ( 2017 ) See also San Francisco Bay Area portal List of tallest buildings in San Francisco 49 - Mile Scenic Drive List of tallest buildings in the world References Jump up ^ `` Transamerica Pyramid ''. CTBUH Skyscraper Database. Jump up ^ Transamerica Pyramid at Emporis Jump up ^ `` Transamerica Pyramid ''. SkyscraperPage. Jump up ^ Transamerica Pyramid at Structurae Jump up ^ `` San Francisco 's Salesforce Tower becomes tallest building on West Coast ''. ABC 7 News. Retrieved December 24, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Official World 's 200 Tallest High - rise Buildings ''. Emporis. January 2010. Retrieved 2010 - 01 - 16. Jump up ^ A Landmark Church at the Golden Gates. scientology.org ^ Jump up to : Carolyn Said ( May 29, 2004 ). `` Transamerica Pyramid From corporate emblem to city landmark ''. The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2010 - 01 - 16. Jump up ^ Sorkin, Michael ( 1991 ). Exquisite Corpse : Writing on Buildings. New York ; London : Vers0. ISBN 0 - 86091 - 323 - 6. Retrieved 2010 - 01 - 16. Jump up ^ King, John ( December 27, 2009 ). `` Pyramid 's steep path from civic eyesore to icon ''. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2013 - 05 - 20. ^ Jump up to : King, John ( 2011 ) Cityscapes : San Francisco and Its Buildings Berkeley, California : Heyday. p. 2 ISBN 978 - 1 - 59714 - 154 - 3 Jump up ^ Irving, Reed Irvine and Kinkaid, Cliff ( March 28, 2002 ). `` Bojinka Back In The News ''. Media Monitor. Accuracy in Media. Retrieved 2010 - 01 - 16. CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list ( link ) Jump up ^ `` Salesforce remakes San Francisco skyline with tallest West Coast office tower ''. The Mercury News. 2017 - 04 - 07. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 29. ^ Jump up to : `` Transamerica Pyramid Center : Frequently Asked Questions ''. Retrieved 2013 - 10 - 05. ^ Jump up to : DK Eyewitness Travel Guide : California. EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDES. DK Publishing. 2014. p. 319. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4654 - 3266 - 7. Retrieved July 5, 2018. Jump up ^ HISTORY - Transamerica Pyramid Center. Retrieved 2018 - 02 - 04. Jump up ^ Pellissier, Hank ( Sept. 4, 2010 ). `` Pyramid Redwood Park ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 2018 - 02 - 04. Jump up ^ Foster, L. ( 2011 ). The Photographer 's Guide to San Francisco : Where to Find Perfect Shots and How to Take Them. The Photographer 's Guide. Countryman Press. p. 34. ISBN 978 - 1 - 58157 - 831 - 7. Retrieved July 5, 2018. Jump up ^ Rubin, S. ( 2010 ). San Francisco Curiosities : Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff. Curiosities Series. Globe Pequot Press. p. 35. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7627 - 6577 - 5. Retrieved July 5, 2018. Jump up ^ Huell Howser. `` Pyramid ''. California 's Gold. Episode # 3004. PBS. Archived from the original on 2010 - 10 - 20. Retrieved 2010 - 01 - 16. Jump up ^ Baker, Katie ( October 19, 2010 ). `` Ask the Appeal : When Does the TransAmerica Beacon Shine ? ''. SF Appeal : San Francisco 's Online Newspaper. Retrieved July 5, 2018. Jump up ^ Dalton, Andrew ( June 11, 2014 ). `` San Francisco 's Best Skyscrapers ( And One Fogscraper ) ''. SFist. Archived from the original on November 5, 2017. Retrieved July 5, 2018. Jump up ^ Douglas, G.H. ( 2004 ). Skyscrapers : A Social History of the Very Tall Building in America. McFarland. pp. 241 -- 242. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7864 - 2030 - 8. Retrieved July 5, 2018. Jump up ^ BofA renews lease at Transamerica Pyramid Jump up ^ Incapture Group Moves Into The Iconic Pyramid Archived 2013 - 11 - 03 at the Wayback Machine. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Transamerica Pyramid. Official website About the Pyramid at Transamerica Corporation Transamerica Pyramid at PropertyShark Timeline of the tallest buildings west of the Mississippi River Central Tower ( 91 m ) ( 1898 ) Smith Tower ( 141 m ) ( 1914 ) Kansas City Power and Light Building ( 145.1 m ) ( 1931 ) Mercantile National Bank Building ( 159 m ) ( 1942 ) Sheraton Dallas Hotel ( 183 m ) ( 1959 ) ExxonMobil Building ( 185 m ) ( 1963 ) Republic Center Tower II ( 183 m ) ( 1964 ) Elm Place ( 191 m ) ( 1965 ) 555 California Street ( 237 m ) ( 1969 ) Transamerica Pyramid ( 260 m ) ( 1972 ) Aon Center ( 262 m ) ( 1973 ) JPMorgan Chase Tower ( 305 m ) ( 1982 ) US Bank Tower ( 310 m ) ( 1990 ) Wilshire Grand Center ( 335 m ) ( 2016 ) Timeline of the tallest buildings in California Montgomery Block ( 15 m ) ( 1853 ) Old Saint Mary 's Cathedral ( 27 m ) ( 1854 ) California State Capitol ( 64 m ) ( 1874 ) Chronicle Building ( 66 m ) ( 1890 ) Call Building ( 96 m ) ( 1898 ) Standard Oil Building ( 100 m ) ( 1922 ) Pacific Telephone Building ( 133 m ) ( 1925 ) Russ Building ( 133 m ) ( 1927 ) Los Angeles City Hall ( 138 m ) ( 1928 ) Hartford Building ( 142 m ) ( 1965 ) 44 Montgomery ( 172 m ) ( 1967 ) Bank of America Center ( 237 m ) ( 1969 ) Transamerica Pyramid ( 260 m ) ( 1972 ) Aon Center ( 262 m ) ( 1973 ) US Bank Tower ( 310 m ) ( 1990 ) Wilshire Grand Center ( 335 m ) ( 2016 ) Timeline of the tallest buildings in San Francisco Montgomery Block ( 15 m ) ( 1853 ) Old Saint Mary 's Cathedral ( 27 m ) ( 1854 ) Palace Hotel ( 37 m ) ( 1875 ) Chronicle Building ( 66 m ) ( 1890 ) Call Building ( 96 m ) ( 1898 ) Standard Oil Building ( 100 m ) ( 1922 ) Pacific Telephone Building ( 133 m ) ( 1925 ) Russ Building ( 133 m ) ( 1927 ) Hartford Building ( 142 m ) ( 1965 ) 44 Montgomery ( 172 m ) ( 1967 ) Bank of America Center ( 237 m ) ( 1969 ) Transamerica Pyramid ( 260 m ) ( 1972 ) Salesforce Tower ( 326 m ) ( 2018 ) Tallest buildings in San Francisco Skyscrapers over 500 feet ( 150 m ) Salesforce Tower Transamerica Pyramid 555 California Street 345 California Center Millennium Tower One Rincon Hill South Tower 50 Fremont Center 101 California Street 575 Market Street Four Embarcadero Center One Embarcadero Center 44 Montgomery One Market Plaza Spear Tower One Sansome Street One Rincon Hill North Tower One Front Street First Market Tower McKesson Plaza 425 Market Street One Montgomery Tower Highrises over 400 feet ( 120 m ) 333 Bush Street Hilton San Francisco Union Square Tower I Pacific Gas & Electric Building 50 California Street St. Regis Museum Tower 100 Pine Center 45 Fremont Street 333 Market Street 650 California Street 555 Mission Street The Infinity II 100 First Plaza 340 Fremont Street 399 Fremont Street One California San Francisco Marriott Marquis Russ Building 140 New Montgomery Jasper JPMorgan Chase Building The Paramount Providian Financial Building Three Embarcadero Center Two Embarcadero Center 350 Mission Street 595 Market Street 123 Mission Street 101 Montgomery Embarcadero West 100 Van Ness Avenue LUMINA Highrises over 300 feet ( 91 m ) One Maritime Plaza Four Seasons Hotel Westin St. Francis 456 Montgomery Plaza 535 Mission Street Shell Building Park Central Hotel San Francisco 222 Second Street 199 Fremont Street Hilton San Francisco Financial District One Market Plaza Steuart Tower 425 California Street 100 Montgomery Street Grand Hyatt San Francisco Fox Plaza 101 Second Street NEMA 580 California Street 601 California Street The Infinity I Hilton San Francisco Union Square Tower II 450 Sutter Street InterContinental San Francisco Stevenson Place 150 California Street 225 Bush Street 505 Montgomery Street Blue Shield of California Building Fairmont San Francisco 180 Montgomery Street KPMG Building Central Plaza Sir Francis Drake Hotel The Summit W San Francisco 353 Sacramento Street 555 Market Street Bank of California Building Phillip Burton Federal Building Ritz - Carlton Club and Residences San Francisco Marriott Union Square 88 Kearny Street 388 Market Street Commercial Union Assurance Building Hunter - Dulin Building One Bush Plaza San Francisco City Hall McAllister Tower Apartments Mark Hopkins Hotel Mills Tower Central Tower Under construction Oceanwide Center I & II 181 Fremont Park Tower at Transbay Transbay Block 8 706 Mission Street Transbay Block 9 Folsom Bay Tower 33 Tehama Street Planned and proposed Palace Hotel Residential Tower Treasure Island development 5M Project 524 Howard Street 1500 Mission Street See also : San Francisco Designated Landmarks, Buildings and structures in San Francisco San Francisco attractions Landmarks 49 - Mile Drive Alcatraz Bay Bridge Cable cars The Castro Chinatown City Hall Cliff House Coit Tower F - Market Streetcar Fairmont Hotel Federal Reserve Bank Ferry Building Fisherman 's Wharf Fort Mason Fort Point Ghirardelli Square Golden Gate Bridge Grace Cathedral Haight - Ashbury Jack Kerouac Alley Lombard Street Mark Hopkins Hotel Market Street Mission Dolores Nob Hill North Beach Old U.S. Mint Painted ladies Palace of Fine Arts Peace Pagoda Pier 39 Public Library Sutro Baths Sutro Tower Transamerica Pyramid Treasure Island Union Square Museums and art Asian Art Museum Aquarium of the Bay Cable Car Museum California Academy of Sciences Cartoon Art Museum Children 's Creativity Museum Chinese Historical Society Museum Conservatory of Flowers Contemporary Jewish Museum Walt Disney Family Museum de Young Museum Exploratorium Haas -- Lilienthal House Legion of Honor Musée Mécanique Museo ItaloAmericano Museum of Performance & Design Museum of the African Diaspora Precita Eyes Randall Museum Ripley 's Believe It or Not ! San Francisco Art Institute Diego Rivera Gallery San Francisco Museum of Modern Art San Francisco Maritime Railway Museum USS Pampanito Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts Parks and recreation Alamo Square Bay Area Ridge Trail Candlestick Point Corona Heights Crissy Field Mission Dolores Park Glen Canyon Golden Gate National Recreation Area Golden Gate Park Lafayette Park Lake Merced Marina Green McLaren Park Mount Davidson Mount Sutro Ocean Beach The Presidio San Francisco Bay Trail San Francisco Zoo Stern Grove Twin Peaks Yerba Buena Gardens Views Coit Tower Twin Peaks Seal Rocks / Ocean Beach Baker Beach Golden Gate Bridge Fort Funston Hamon Observation Tower at the de Young Museum Strawberry Hill Crissy Field Pacific Heights Alamo Square / Painted ladies Top of the Mark Alcatraz Treasure Island Lombard Street Powell - Hyde Cable Car Ferry Building Bernal Hill 49 - Mile Scenic Drive Hawk Hill Fort Baker Entertainment American Conservatory Theater Bill Graham Civic Auditorium Cow Palace The Fillmore War Memorial and Performing Arts Center Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Sports San Francisco Giants AT&T Park Kezar Stadium Food and drink Anchor Steam Boudin Bakery Buena Vista Cafe Cioppino Dungeness crab Ghirardelli Square Mission burrito Tadich Grill Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar Top of the Mark Shopping Japan Center Metreon Stonestown Galleria Union Square Westfield San Francisco Centre National Register of Historic Places listings in San Francisco Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Transamerica_Pyramid&oldid=849491403 '' Categories : Office buildings completed in 1972 Headquarters in the United States Skyscraper office buildings in San Francisco Modernist architecture in California Pyramids in the United States William Pereira buildings Financial District, San Francisco Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design platinum certified buildings Hidden categories : Skyscraper Center ID same as Wikidata Structurae ID different from Wikidata CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list Webarchive template wayback links Coordinates on Wikidata Articles to be expanded from July 2018 All articles to be expanded Articles using small message boxes Articles needing additional references from June 2018 All articles needing additional references All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from June 2018 Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia Talk Views Contents About Wikipedia Български Bosanski Буряад Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français 한국어 Hrvatski Italiano עברית ქართული Қазақша Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Polski Português Русский Simple English Slovenčina Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Türkçe 中文 25 more Edit links This page was last edited on 9 July 2018, at 11 : 14 ( UTC ). 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Question: how tall is the transamerica building in san francisco
Answer: 853 feet (260 m)