For the first time, San Francisco's iconic Transamerica Pyramid has been listed for sale. Built in 1972, the 48-story Brutalist-style project was designed by American architect William Pereira. The triangular-shaped skyscraper was the tallest building in San Francisco for nearly half a century, until it was surpassed by Salesforce Tower in 2018. Selling for $600 million, the building has become a landmark in the skyline of San Francisco.
The Transamerica Corporation has owned the skyscraper since it was first built. Though it received criticism when it was completed for its irregular shape, the project has become an iconic structure in the city. The tapered “pyramid” shape by William Pereira & Associates was designed to narrow the tower's profile and reduce the shadow cast on nearby streets. This was requested by Transamerica's past CEO, John Beckett, who wanted as much light as possible for the streets below.
As reported by the San Francisco Business Times, the Transamerica Corporation will maintain naming rights on the building. The news follows the company's attempt to sell slightly less than half of the building, which resulted in no buyers. "Right now, San Francisco has a very robust office real-estate market," says Transamerica's chief administrative officer, Jay Orlandi. In addition to the pyramid, two additional buildings on Sansome Street are included in the deal.
News via Curbed San Francisco
