Last week, YIMBY was given an exclusive tour of the Transamerica Pyramid, showcasing the progress of renovations designed by the internationally acclaimed Foster + Partners. The revamp is led by New York-based developer SHVO, with funding from Deutsche Finance Group. The iconic San Francisco skyscraper is now expected to fully reopen this September, just over a year and a half after the official groundbreaking.
Construction work has begun on the renovation of San Francisco’s most iconic skyscraper, the Transamerica Pyramid. The project is led by the New York City-based property owner, SHVO, with design by Foster + Partners. Focused on the public open space and the pyramid’s interiors, phase one will reemphasize the iconic modernist design inside, update the offices, increase on-site amenities, and lease 45,000 square feet for a Manhattan-based elite social club, all in a bid to elevate the pyramid from a visual marvel into a magnetic destination for both tenants and the public.
Plans to expand the commercial office building at 545 Sansome Street in San Francisco’s Financial District that were first filed in early 2020 are still under review, with updates in late 2021. The application, started under the previous owner, Aegon, has continued after the $650 million bundle-sale of the property with 505 Sansome Street and the Transamerica Pyramid in February of 2020 to New York-based SHVO. This week, the developer enflamed tensions in the city by announcing it would not renew the lease for Sai’s Vietnamese Restaurant, which has operated from the property for 37 years. Now, SHVO promises to assist in searching for a new permanent home for Sai’s while city officials look to provide more stability for the family business.
The third tallest building proposed or built, and the second tower building standing in the Bay Area, is the Transamerica Pyramid, the defining icon for the San Francisco skyline since its completion in 1972. With a rooftop height of 853 feet tall, the pyramid would not be surpassed in height until 2018 with the completion of the Salesforce Tower. William L. Pereira & Associates is responsible for the design.
525 Market Street is tied as the 26th tallest building in the Bay Area planned or built. The structure has a 529-foot pinnacle above SoMa, contributing over a million square feet of office space to San Francisco’s central business district. John Carl Warnecke is the architect.