Transamerica Life Insurance
The internationally-known brand of the Transamerica pyramid began in 1968. Company president John R. Beckett was taking a walk in a park and noticed the interaction between the trees and the sunlight, how it filtered through the leaves and branches. He imagined a pyramid shaped building interacting with the environment as opposed to traditional box buildings that block out sunlight and air. William L. Pereira and Associates was hired to design the Transamerica Life Insurance home offices in that pyramid shape to allow the sunlight to reach the surrounding city streets.
Transamerica Life Insurance broke ground on the project in December of 1969. Construction crews dug down 52 feet to construct the nine-foot concrete mat foundation that took twenty-four continuous hours to pour. The gleaming white quartz aggregate pyramid has forty-eight stories and stands 853 feet tall, 212 feet of which is the stunning spire atop the building. The total space in the pyramid is 530,000 square feet. The structure has eighteen elevators, over 3,600 windows, and takes up one full city block. The Transamerica Corporation took occupancy of the building in 1972. Currently, the building is owned by AEGON, the owners of Transamerica Corporation, as an investment as their headquarters are in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Fifty tenants lease space in the Transamerica Pyramid, encompassing over fifteen hundred employees. The landmark structure is located at 600 Montgomery Street, in the middle of the San Francisco financial district. Transamerica Center includes the Pyramid, Two Transamerica Center, and Transamerica Redwood Park. The building serves as the inspiration for the logo and brand of the Transamerica Life Insurance Company. The “Power of the Pyramid” is used in their printed materials, advertising, and prominent golf sponsorships.
The “Power of the Pyramid” team of professional golfers includes PGA tour professional Zach Johnson, LPGA pro Taylor Leon, and Nationwide Tour player Kyle Stanley. The Transamerica Life Insurance Company believes the “Power of the Pyramid” team to be a group of professional athletes that reflect the desire to excel and high ethical standards of the company. Transamerica also sponsors the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award for the top senior quarterback of the year in the NCAA. This honor rewards excellence in the sport. Transamerica represents excellence in the insurance industry. The Transamerica Pyramid is a symbol worldwide for excellence in environmentally conscious building design. The power of the pyramid to unite across disciplines and borders has been proven for over 30 years.
