Transamerica Pyramid Hated
by many at first, the Pyramid is now loved as an icon of the city.
Recalling pyramids of ancient cultures, to some it is a symbol of the
mysticism that has always played a part in the San Francisco mentality.
At 853 ft (260 m), it is the tallest building in the city, but its shape
keeps it from casting a shadow on the neighborhood.
Transamerica Pyramid
Bank of America This
52-story structure was the first skyscraper to be erected in the city,
in 1972. The color was a mistake – the granite that faces it was
supposed to be pink, not brown, but by the time delivery was made, it
was too late. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Quoting Renaissance architecture in thoroughly modern ways, SFMOMA
has established itself as the city’s premier Post-Modern effort. The
interior has a flexibility and functionality that works perfectly with
the collections displayed.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Coit Tower Perched
on Telegraph Hill, this Art Deco sentinel takes the form of a giant
fluted column. Reminiscent of Renaissance towers, the column is
63-meters tall and is perforated around the top with arched openings and
windows, which visitors can reach by elevator for stunning views of the
city . Palace of Fine Arts This
bit of Neo-Classical fluff was designed by Bernard Maybeck for the
Pan-Pacific Exposition of 1915. It is patterned on an 18th-century
engraving by Giovanni Piranesi entitled The Isle of the Dead .
Palace of Fine Arts
Civic Center Centered
on the City Hall that would do any state proud, the core buildings are
in a grand Beaux-Arts style; and befitting the city that started the
Gold Rush, gilt is everywhere . Haas-Lilienthal House This
Queen Anne-style mansion, built in 1886, is one of the few Victorian
beauties in the city that accepts callers. It’s a wonderful glimpse into
the way of life among San Francisco’s upper-middle classes from about
1890 to 1920. Outside, it features gables, a turret, and patterned
embellishments; inside, you can see parlors, a dining room, one of six
bedrooms, and the ballroom.
Haas-Lilienthal House
Grace Cathedral Executed
in the medieval French Gothic style, echoing in particular Notre Dame
in Paris, yet accomplished using steel-reinforced concrete. It is the
third largest Episcopal church in the US . Folk Art International Dating
from 1948, this is the city’s only building by Frank Lloyd Wright. The
sweeping spiral ramp predates that at Wright’s Guggenheim Museum in New
York. St. Mary’s Cathedral Critics
abound who are ready to dismiss this parabolic form, but the soaring
curves take the attention upward, in much the same fashion that tracery
and peaked vaulting do in Gothic cathedrals .
Top 10 Public Art Sites
Balmy Alley The most famous set of murals in town, by local Latino artists. San Francisco Art Institute Diego Rivera, the Mexican muralist, painted The Making of a Fresco here. Coit Tower Depression-era murals decorate the lobby. Fort Mason The Learning Wall is a mural depicting education. Women’s Building The work of seven women painters graces the façade. Bikeway This 340-ft (104-m) mural chronicles a bike-ride from Downtown to Ocean Beach. Beach Chalet Depression-era murals depict famous citizens. Rincon Center These 1948 murals by Russian artist Anton Refregier trace Californian history. Financial District The black-stone Transcendence is in front of the Bank of America. Golden Gate Park The Music Concourse is adorned with a number of bronzes, including Apple Cider Press .
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