The Transamerica Pyramid didn’t just reopen — it threw itself a party last week. Thursday’s bash came complete with a ribbon cutting, speeches, a light show, and Thievery Corporation. Lord Norman Foster (yes, the Gherkin guy) and Michael Shvo were all smiles as they showed off the newly revamped icon.
Back when it was built in 1969, people weren’t exactly sold on the Pyramid’s bold design, but over time, it’s become an icon of the San Francisco skyline — as unmistakable as the fog or a Golden Gate photo op. This was a theme throughout the day: how the Embarcadero, St. Mary’s Cathedral, and even the Pyramid itself were met with resistance before becoming fixtures of San Francisco’s skyline.
It’s no accident the building reopened on September 12th — the day was tied the building’s “rebirth” (or as Shvo and Foster prefer, “remaster”) to pivotal events like the wildfires, pandemic, and 9/11. In 2020, Shvo toured the Pyramid under wildfire-red skies. While the observation deck stays closed, a high-end bar with sweeping views will take its place, and the park and lobby will reopen as privately-owned public spaces.
The pandemic significantly altered how we think about work, blending home and office life in ways we hadn’t considered. It’s fitting, then, that the Transamerica Pyramid’s remaster reflects this shift, turning downtown from just a workspace into a place meant for ongoing engagement. As Shvo put it, with remote work so easy, “you have to give people a reason to come back.” Foster’s vision aimed to blur the lines between work, play, and relaxation — something unthinkable in a pre-pandemic world.
For all the buzz, it’s quite striking how restrained the changes feel. The lobby and outdoor space have a sleek, luxury hotel vibe, with Shvo clearly eager to see those cushy seats filled with casual meetings and coffee. Foster’s redesign opened up the lobby by removing opaque barriers, making the space feel both lighter and more elegant. His approach was to stay true to Pereira’s original design while adapting the structure for today. This way, you can’t tell where the old ends and the new begins.
The crowd loved it. Pereira’s daughter almost cried when she thanked the team, and Foster soaked up the praise. It’s hard not to be won over by the scene — sitting under the redwoods, with the Pyramid’s sharp silhouette towering over the peaceful park, a welcome break from FiDi’s usual concrete jungle. And it’s pretty impossible to take a bad picture of it.
As the evening unfolded, the park transformed into a chic party space, with Thievery Corporation delivering EDM beats under the redwoods. The crowd swayed to the music, necks craning to catch the light show, though the real spectacle was just outside, where the entire tower glittered against the San Francisco skyline. And who can resist an illuminated building? Much like the Eiffel Tower’s nightly sparkle, the Pyramid’s glowing outline brought a bit of magic to the night. Move over, Salesforce Tower — there’s a new star in the city, a pointy one that brings an undeniable magic the moment it lights up the night sky.
Jan Chong is a San Francisco-based parent and writer.
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