The defining feature of San Francisco's skyline is this 1972 pyramid, built atop a whaling ship abandoned in the gold rush. A half-acre redwood grove sprouted out front, on the site of Mark Twain's favorite saloon and the newspaper office where Sun Yat-sen drafted his Proclamation of the Republic of China. Although these transplanted redwoods have shallow roots, their intertwined structure helps them reach dizzying heights – Twain himself couldn't have penned a more perfect metaphor for San Francisco.
Architect William Pereira's triangular structure allows light to reach the trees and narrow streets beneath the Pyramid. But, at first, critics claimed Pereira's Hollywood special-effects background was too obvious in his 853ft rocket-ship design. Today San Francisco would be unthinkable without the Pyramid – Godzilla respectfully left it intact in the 2014 remake of the Japanese sci-fi classic. On weekdays, there's free entry to the lobby visitor center, where you can check out views from the top via a live feed, some videos about the history and some Transamerica merch. Only employees can use the elevators.
