The Transamerica Pyramid – Viewed from Stockton Street at Green Street, San Francisco, California

The Transamerica Pyramid is the tallest skyscraper in the San Francisco skyline. The building no longer houses the headquarters of the Transamerica Corporation, who moved their U.S. headquarters to Baltimore, Maryland, but it is still associated with the company and is depicted in the company’s logo. At 853 ft (260 m), on completion in 1972 it was the eighth tallest building in the world.

The Transamerica building was commissioned by Transamerica CEO John (Jack) R. Beckett, with the claim that he wished to allow light in the street below. It is built on the site of the historic Montgomery Block, San Francisco’s first fireproof and earthquake resistant building, which came to be known as a Bohemian centre from the late 19th to the middle of the 20th century. Designed by architect William Pereira, it faced opposition during planning and construction and was sometimes referred to by detractors as "Pereira’s Prick". The building is evocative of San Francisco and has become one of the many symbols of the city. John King of the San Francisco Chronicle summed up the improved opinion of the building in 2009 as "an architectural icon of the best sort - one that fits its location and gets better with age."