Transamerica Pyramid

The Transamerica Pyramid is an icon of San Francisco and a sought out building in the city's skyline. The pyramid was commissioned by Transamerica CEO Jack Beckett with specific instructions of raising a building that would allow light in the street below. The pyramid was designed by the famous architect William L. Pereira, it was built in three years and opened in the summer of 1972. There are no tours of the building currently, but you can see its 853 ft. (260 m) covered in crushed quartz from almost anywhere in The City.

The Pyramid is the most recognizable buildings in San Francisco. For a massive building inside it feels quite small with small windows. Views from the upper floors are great.

The one building that no matter how long I've lived in San Francisco will always demand a quick glance of awe for a few seconds.

Iconic landmark of San Francisco. It's all offices inside though so there's not really an opportunity to explore

Seen it in the skyline a billion times, but it's cool to stand at the base and get a new view...

Great place for an office, if you can afford it. Great views of the city from the inside looking out.

I had the privilege of working in a building next door to the pyramid (505 Sansome) so I was able to spend a lot of time here. This building's sheer size really puts things into perspective. Definitely worth visiting!

As with almost anything in SF, the Pyramid was controversial when proposed and built. Eventually it was accepted, Herb Caen added it to his masthead with the top bent by one of the letters in his name, and now it's beloved and nearly as recognizable an icon of SF as the Golden Gate Bridge or cable cars. I was fortunate enough to briefly work there for a couple weeks, as vacation fill-in receptionist at a real estate developer's office, in December 1974 for the princely sum of 2 dollars an hour. Yep! But it gave me the opportunity to see a lot more of the Pyramid than most visitors or even residents see. It's a blast! After you shoot the iconic photo from Columbus Ave., enjoy the public park on its eastern side.

Always cool to see. Take a photo!

At the base of the Transamerica Pyramid building (which you can easily pick out in the skyline) there is a small circle of Redwood trees known as the Transamerica Redwood Park. Close your eyes and pretend you're actually in the Redwoods, since it's the closest most of us can get to them on our lunch breaks. It's a great place for a mid-day break, especially for visiting business travelers in the Financial District.