HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Discussion Forums > Buildings & Architecture


    Salesforce Tower in the SkyscraperPage Database

Building Data Page   • Comparison Diagram   • San Francisco Skyscraper Diagram

Map Location
San Francisco Projects & Construction Forum

Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #1  
Old Posted Aug 15, 2009, 5:44 AM
plinko's Avatar
plinko plinko is offline
them bones
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Santa Barbara adjacent
Posts: 7,387
SAN FRANCISCO | Transamerica Pyramid | 853 FT / 260 M | 48 FLOORS | 1972

It's a rare thing when a piece of architecture can become a true icon, but the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco is arguably as famous as the Sydney Opera House, the Eiffel Tower, and the Empire State Building as a symbol of its city.

Like most towers of its size, it was originally derided by locals as being alien to San Francisco, a product of corporate greed and imported L.A. flashy architecture (designed by William Periera).

But if you asked them today, I'm sure but all of a few crusty old geezers would tell you that it is an absolutely wonderful pinnacle to their city.

The base is a truly brutal disaster, a concrete mess of jumbled triangular geometry, but there is a small redwood park that attempts to soften it a little. The precast concrete facade tapers up 48 stories, and oddly the window surrounds actually give a small hint of vernacular San Francisco bay windows.

The tower tapers so much that the elevator cores actually break free of the pyramid and form 'wings' at the top. The building is capped by a further continuation of the pyramid, lit up at night, but unfortunately a bit muted.

I believe there is a rotating aircraft beacon at the top as well, but i'm not sure if it's in use.

The pyramid isn't a great shape in terms of leasable space for an office tower, as the 48th floor of this tower is a mere 5,400 SF! Still, it projects a profile that is forever memorable and is a true icon for the city of San Francisco.



























__________________
Even if you are 1 in a million, there are still 8,000 people just like you...
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #2  
Old Posted Aug 15, 2009, 6:32 AM
LMich's Avatar
LMich LMich is offline
Midwest Moderator - Editor
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Big Mitten
Posts: 31,745
I love it for its uniqueness, but, man, do I wish they'd used another material for the facade. I've seen this one in person, and I hear the facade is quartz, but it's aged like bad exterior concrete.
__________________
Where the trees are the right height
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #3  
Old Posted Aug 15, 2009, 6:58 AM
BTinSF BTinSF is offline
BANNED
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: San Francisco & Tucson
Posts: 24,088
So what do you think about the proposal to put this next to it:







All images from http://www.socketsite.com via http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=130808
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #4  
Old Posted Aug 15, 2009, 5:33 PM
plinko's Avatar
plinko plinko is offline
them bones
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Santa Barbara adjacent
Posts: 7,387
^the round one isn't bad looking.
__________________
Even if you are 1 in a million, there are still 8,000 people just like you...
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #5  
Old Posted Aug 15, 2009, 8:47 PM
arlekin_m's Avatar
arlekin_m arlekin_m is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: mexico city
Posts: 271
What a strange building.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #6  
Old Posted Aug 17, 2009, 4:05 PM
peanut gallery's Avatar
peanut gallery peanut gallery is offline
Only Mostly Dead
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Marin
Posts: 5,234
Quote:
Originally Posted by plinko View Post
there is a small redwood park that attempts to soften it a little.
The proposal that BT posted includes expansion of that park.

Quote:
Originally Posted by plinko View Post
I believe there is a rotating aircraft beacon at the top as well, but i'm not sure if it's in use.
It is still in use but only on special occasions, most notably around the holidays.
__________________
My other car is a Dakota Creek Advanced Multihull Design.

Tiburon Miami 1 Miami 2 Ye Olde San Francisco SF: Canyons, waterfront... SF: South FiDi SF: South Park
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #7  
Old Posted Aug 17, 2009, 5:07 PM
SLO's Avatar
SLO SLO is offline
REAL Kiwi!
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: California & Texas
Posts: 17,085
the round one isnt bad, the park is great too.
__________________
'Don't underestimate Joe's ability to f*ck things up' - Barack Obama
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8  
Old Posted Aug 19, 2009, 11:14 PM
Amanita's Avatar
Amanita Amanita is offline
Crane Goddess
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,228
I have always been a fan of the pyramid. Such an unusual, fun, and funky tower! Apparently the poor thing got a crude nickname- "Periera's prick", but I don't think anyone uses it anymore.
__________________
"Build me to the heavens, and Life never stops"
"Live as if the world were as it should be, to show it what it can be"
-Angel
"Prayers are fleeting and wars are forgotten, but what is built endures"
-Ambassador DeLenn, Babylon 5
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #9  
Old Posted Aug 20, 2009, 12:27 AM
CGII's Avatar
CGII CGII is offline
illwaukee/crooklyn
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: rome
Posts: 8,518
Perhaps the easiest to love brutalist building in history.
__________________
disregard women. acquire finances.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #10  
Old Posted Dec 25, 2009, 6:33 PM
M II A II R II K's Avatar
M II A II R II K M II A II R II K is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Toronto
Posts: 52,200
Transamerica Pyramid Achieves LEED Gold and Mayor Releases EB Recommendations


Monday, 21 December 2009

Read More: http://www.usgbc-ncc.org/

Quote:
Mayor Gavin Newsom announced new legislation aimed at improving energy efficiency for existing buildings in San Francisco at a LEED Gold plaque presentation for the Transamerica Pyramid. The Mayor convened a task force on existing buildings to come up with recommendations; included on the task force were two of USGBC-NCC's Boardmembers, Barry Giles and Lisa Galley.

USGBC-NCC Executive Director Dan Geiger presented the LEED Gold plaque to Christof George of AEGON Insurange Group. The iconic Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco received LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (EBOM) Gold, symbolizing the city's efforts to go green.
__________________
ASDFGHJK
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #11  
Old Posted Dec 25, 2009, 10:53 PM
wrab's Avatar
wrab wrab is offline
Deerhoof Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Chicago
Posts: 3,670
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #12  
Old Posted Apr 24, 2010, 7:46 PM
Infernal_Elf's Avatar
Infernal_Elf Infernal_Elf is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: enjoying life in Tønsberg the coolest little town in Norway
Posts: 354
i love this building it looks really great and i think san francisco`s new supertall should be built in the same design only much taller and with a different cladding.
__________________
We set our visions higher
Its never to tall just way to small

My flickr photo stream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/infernal_elf/
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #13  
Old Posted May 8, 2010, 1:36 AM
dr_strangelove dr_strangelove is offline
BANNED
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: The City- Accept no substitutions
Posts: 87
I think the base with the redundant triangles is one of the best features visually, and also makes it durable in an earthquake. And I do believe this building fits into the category "futurism" and not "brutalism."
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #14  
Old Posted Mar 10, 2011, 8:57 PM
SanFranFan's Avatar
SanFranFan SanFranFan is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6
I agree the base is not beautiful , the rest is okay , i'l looking for pictures of the construction. found only 2 .

Thanks
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #15  
Old Posted Feb 16, 2013, 6:26 AM
THE BIG APPLE's Avatar
THE BIG APPLE THE BIG APPLE is offline
Khurram Parvaz
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NEW YORK
Posts: 2,424
They were smart and knew pyramid buildings as office towers are infeasible. So that's they gave it some girth on two ends. Still the best building on the West Coast.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #16  
Old Posted Apr 10, 2013, 1:36 AM
mt_climber13 mt_climber13 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: San Diego
Posts: 1,287
Quote:
Originally Posted by THE BIG APPLE View Post
They were smart and knew pyramid buildings as office towers are infeasible. So that's they gave it some girth on two ends. Still the best building on the West Coast.


Actually the wings are elevator shafts and were added because the building was shortened from its initial 1,000'+
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #17  
Old Posted Feb 15, 2016, 11:20 PM
SFView SFView is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,071
I came across this photo of an earlier proposal for the Transamerica Pyramid. I believe that is Mayor Joseph Alioto on the far left talking with, if I'm not mistaken, radio and TV host Jim Dunbar. Does anyone know who the others are? Was this the proposal at 1,000 or 1,150 feet?

Source:
https://plus.google.com/photos/10352...49380337783490


Last edited by SFView; Feb 15, 2016 at 11:30 PM.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #18  
Old Posted Feb 16, 2016, 3:10 AM
viewguysf's Avatar
viewguysf viewguysf is offline
Surrounded by Nature
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Walnut Creek, California
Posts: 2,028
Quote:
Originally Posted by SFView View Post
I came across this photo of an earlier proposal for the Transamerica Pyramid. I believe that is Mayor Joseph Alioto on the far left talking with, if I'm not mistaken, radio and TV host Jim Dunbar. Does anyone know who the others are? Was this the proposal at 1,000 or 1,150 feet
That's very cool! I had just been thinking about trying to find original renderings.

It was shortened 297', from 1,150' to the present 853'. I've always deeply regretted that--a great mistake, preventing a much more dynamic tower that Transamerica was already prepared to build.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #19  
Old Posted Feb 22, 2016, 1:54 AM
mdsayh1 mdsayh1 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NewYork, San Francisco
Posts: 62
Does anyone know why it was ever shortened?
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #20  
Old Posted Feb 22, 2016, 4:03 AM
mthd mthd is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 873
Quote:
Originally Posted by mdsayh1 View Post
Does anyone know why it was ever shortened?
opposition from many directions, including neighbors on tel hill, the city planning department, the aia, spur, etc.

this article by john king has a decent history:

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/P...on-3277598.php
Reply With Quote
     
     
This discussion thread continues

Use the page links to the lower-right to go to the next page for additional posts
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Discussion Forums > Buildings & Architecture
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 4:21 AM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.