Transamerica Pyramid is an 853-ft tall futurist style skyscraper situated amid the downtown skyline of San Francisco. Known for its distinct pyramidal form, the building has been a signature icon of San Francisco since its completion in 1972. As expressed by John King of the San Francisco Chronicle, "[the building is] an architectural icon of the best sort – one that fits its location and gets better with age."
Transamerica Pyramid is certainly one of those rare, instantly recognizable landmarks that even non-aficionados of architecture associate with San Francisco. As a graduate of architecture school myself, the desire to eventually add this one to my body of work has, naturally, always guaranteed its spot on my proverbial "mental list." Although the symmetry of the pyramid's design is relatively straightforward when it comes to massing, the engineering beneath the model's surface is anything but. I'll preface the detailed engineering walkthroughs in the subsequent photos by just saying this; nearly every piece in this model is angled downward thirteen degrees!
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Located at 600 Montgomery Street in the Financial District, Transamerica Pyramid is one of San Francisco's most visible landmarks. Not least because of its status as the city's tallest building from 1972 until 2017, but also due to its dramatic presence at the end of Columbus Ave, which runs diagonally all the way from Fisherman's Wharf to Montgomery and Washington Streets between Chinatown and the Financial District. The forty-eight story pyramid was built to be the headquarters of its namesake, the Transamerica Corporation. Although Transamerica no longer occupies the building, it is still depicted in the company's logo.
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Conceptually, the design of the skyscraper was derived in 1968 from then-president of Transamerica Corporation, John R. Beckett. Beckett took note of the fact that trees in a city park could reach lofty heights, yet still allow sunlight and fresh air to make their way to the ground. He also took note of the boxy modern highrises surrounding the historic Montgomery Block, where his company's new headquarters was to be built. With the concept and site both in mind, he commissioned architects William L. Pereira and Harry D. Som to design the building. The final design features a four-sided pyramid with two protruding wings on the east and west faces; one for elevator shafts, and one for emergency stairwells and smokestacks, respectively. Above this, a 212-ft aluminum-clad spire rises to the pinnacle.
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The unique exposed structural framing system at the base of the tower, combined with the overall tapering form, increases the building's lateral (side-to-side) and torsional (twisting) stiffness. Such structural design implementations have played an important role in counteracting not only typical loads such as wind, but also those caused by earthquakes, which frequently occur in this seismically active region. Most notably, Transamerica Pyramid withstood the 7.1-magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989 and sustained no damage.
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Perhaps in homage to John Beckett's concept, the plaza features its own Transamerica Redwood Park. Designed by Tom Galli, the park features transplanted redwoods from the mountains of Santa Cruz and a fountain designed by Anthony Guzzardo. Such outdoor amenities were a noteworthy modernism trend, most notably exemplified by the public plaza before the Seagram Building in New York City.
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