San Francisco is home to many wondrous feats of architecture. From sky high buildings to Victorian era houses, the City by the Bay has it all. Let’s take a look at some of the city’s most significant buildings.
Salesforce Tower
415 Mission Street
This structure may not get everyone’s vote for the most beautiful landmark, but it is certainly one of the most famous buildings in San Francisco. At an impressive 1,070 feet tall and 61 stories, the Salesforce Tower is valued at $1.1 billion, which is no surprise given its remarkable size and construction. Visual artist Jim Campbell has created an 11,000-LED light installation for the building, lighting up the Bay Area night sky with a dazzling display.
Transamerica Pyramid
600 Montgomery Street
Designed by William Pereira & Associates, this building opened in 1972 as the tallest building in San Francisco – a distinction it held until the completion of the Salesforce Tower in 2018. Spanning 48 floors and a whopping 212 feet, the Transamerica Pyramid features a distinctive design that has made it a true San Francisco icon.
Coit Tower
1 Telegraph Hill Boulevard
Built from 1932 to 1933, this beautiful historic tower offers great views of the city streets, piers, and skyline, as well as of Alcatraz in the distance. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, it was dedicated to the firemen who lost their lives in San Francisco’s major historic fires.
Minnesota Street Project
1275 Minnesota Street
An arts center that houses art studios and galleries, the Minnesota Street Project is best known for being a prime example of adaptive reuse architecture. Previously serving as a warehouse, the building has preserved most of its original elements, but repurposed to suit the needs of the people who are presently using it.
Haas-Lilienthal House
2007 Franklin Street
Designed by Peter R. Schmidt and constructed in 1886, this house is San Francisco’s only intact Victorian home that also serves as a museum. With excellently preserved details and features, it wonderfully captures the upper-middle class lifestyle in the city’s Victorian era.
Mira Condos
280 Spear Street
Known for its twisting architecture, Mira is a famous feat of architecture in San Francisco. This architectural masterpiece rises 39 stories and 400 feet from the ground, its corkscrew motif inspired by the signature bay windows of San Francisco homes.
Palace Hotel
2 New Montgomery Street
The Palace Hotel was once known as the biggest luxury hotel in the world and stands today as one of San Francisco’s landmark historic hotels. Completed in 1909 and updated with modern features, the present-day building was built on the same spot where the original Palace Hotel stood until it was gutted by a fire in the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. The hotel has hosted many significant personalities in history, including Henry Ford and Thomas Edison.
Painted Ladies
Steiner Street & Hayes Street
The famous Painted Ladies is a row of historic Victorian houses on one side of Alamo Park Square. Built in the Queen Anne Style, these ornate, pastel colored homes are a reminder of how the city’s neighborhoods looked like in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and are among the most photographed landmarks in San Francisco.
These are just a few of San Francisco’s best pieces of architecture. Learn more about living in the city and your real estate options here. Call me, Amir Hardy, at 415.602.0570 or drop me a note here to start your home search.