Transamerica Pyramid

A slender pyramid-shaped skyscraper that became the signature of the San Francisco skyline.

It was finished in 1972 and was then the tallest skyscraper west of Chicago, and the eighth-tallest building in the world. Today it is the second-tallest building in San Francisco, after Salesforce Tower, which rose above it in 2017 and 2018. People nicknamed it 'Big Pointy'.

Why a pyramid?

The chief executive of Transamerica Corporation, John Beckett, chose the unusual pyramid shape because he wanted to let more light reach the street below. The building was not loved at first, and critics gave it unkind nicknames, but over time people grew fond of it, and a San Francisco Chronicle critic called it an architectural icon in 2009.

Shape and site

The pyramid has two "wings" that stick out near the middle: one on the east holds the elevator shaft, and one on the west holds a stairwell and a smoke tower. The top 65 metres is a spire covered with aluminium panels. It stands on reclaimed land that was once the shoreline of Yerba Buena Cove, where San Francisco began, on the site of the old Montgomery Block. Construction ran from 1969 to 1972.

Inside and around the Pyramid

The old 27th-floor observation deck closed to the public, and four cameras at the top of the spire now make a 'virtual observation deck': screens in the lobby let visitors turn and zoom the views. On special days, such as Christmas season and Independence Day, a bright twinkling light called the Crown Jewel is lit at the top. At the base is a small public park called Redwood Park, planted with redwood trees. Transamerica's company moved out in 2011, but the pyramid still appears in its logo. A renovation by architect Norman Foster began in 2022.

On the globe

The model shows the slim white pyramid tower with its pointed spire; look for the needle-like pyramid among the other buildings.