After uncovering a time capsule from 1974, SHVO reveals a curated public presentation of its contents, a glimpse into San Francisco's history
Today, SHVO celebrated the new Time Capsule Exhibition at Transamerica Pyramid Center (TAPC), a captivating glimpse into a past era of San Francisco. Discovered and unearthed during the recently completed remastering of TAPC by renowned architect Lord Norman Foster, the cylindrical steel capsule contained a plethora of mementos collected during the Transamerica Pyramid’s development and items marking the site’s historical significance. Visitors will now have the opportunity to delve into these rare artifacts, untouched and preserved for more than 50 years. The Time Capsule Exhibition is curated in partnership with Foster + Partners, and will open to the public on May 18.
Today’s ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by government officials, local leaders and innovators, SHVO leadership and other notable San Franciscans. The exclusive event featured a conversation between SHVO Chairman and CEO, Michael Shvo and John Krizek, the former Transamerica Corporation employee who originally conceptualized the time capsule. The conversation was moderated by esteemed author and architecture critic Paul Goldberger.
“Through moments of prosperity and periods of challenge, the Transamerica Pyramid has stood tall as one of the iconic silhouettes of San Francisco’s skyline. I see it now not just as a symbol of bold design, but of resilience—for this neighborhood, and for our city,” said Mayor Daniel Lurie. “Thanks to leaders like Michael Shvo we are seeing downtown come back to life with new energy and new investment. Fifty years from now, my hope is that we will look back on this era—this exact moment in time—as the beginning of a new chapter for San Francisco.”
“This exhibition serves as a reminder of the significance of the Transamerica Pyramid as a global icon since its inception more than a half century ago,” said Michael Shvo, Chairman and CEO of SHVO. “Preserving the history and respecting the original vision of the property has always been a priority throughout our remastering. The Transamerica Pyramid is one of the world’s most recognizable buildings, and we understood we had a responsibility to ensure it remains a global icon for decades to come. By sharing the contents of the time capsule publicly, as a thoughtfully designed exhibition, we are honoring Transamerica Pyramid’s legacy and seamlessly complementing our meticulous remastering.”
The Transamerica Pyramid’s opening in 1972 was highly anticipated by the local media and community, seen as a symbol of the growth of the City and its businesses. The innovative building was designed with earthquake-resistant structural steel and was well-documented by the industry. It was also the first in the City to be fully equipped with fire sprinklers. After the Transamerica Corporation moved into its new headquarters, they gathered items for the time capsule and later marked the burial with a celebratory event in 1974.
The time capsule – measuring 14 inches in diameter and 16 inches in height – was sealed shut and buried six feet beneath the Annex with a plaque instructing it to remain untouched for 50 years. Over time, renovations led to the plaque’s removal, and the capsule was forgotten. In 2024, a tip based on a treasure hunt book led to a rediscovery, and an old map helped the SHVO team locate the capsule intact.
“We were just trying to save history,” said John Krizek, who served as public relations manager for the Transamerica Corporation, partnering with the California Historical Society to assemble all the items placed in the capsule. “We were keenly aware of the site’s history and we wanted to document the process of building the pyramid and the controversy that surrounded it, as well as pay homage to its history. The site was originally the waterfront of San Francisco during the 1849 Gold Rush and was later occupied for a century by the Montgomery Block, a legendary building that hosted all the early civic and political leaders, and later the artists and writers, who made San Francisco the centerpoint of the West.”
When the design for the Transamerica Pyramid by renowned architect William Pereira was proposed, it was well received by the City and the business community, but divided public opinion. Opponents worried about its impact on the character and skyline of the City and many residents protested. The Transamerica Corporation received letters written directly to them, some supporting the bold design while others denounced their corporate ego. Many of these were preserved in the time capsule.
Other items on display include newspaper clippings, letters, Polaroids, advertisements, leasing brochures, videos, radio spots and even the recipe for the Pisco Punch - the city’s signature cocktail that was invented at the original Bank Exchange Saloon, located on the TAPC site. A signed letter from then-Mayor Joseph L. Alito was also sealed inside, marking the occasion and making the prediction, “It is certainly my belief that when the time capsule is opened at some far future date, it will be noted that the beautiful Pyramid was a treasure of its time and an inspiration to the people who lived and worked beneath its towering height.”
Located on the northern edge of San Francisco’s Financial District in the heart of Jackson Square, Transamerica Pyramid Center, which encompasses Two and Three Transamerica and Transamerica Redwood Park, celebrated its official reopening on September 12, 2024. Led by Lord Norman Foster, the extensive remastering of the Transamerica Pyramid embodies a hotel-like aesthetic that welcomes tenants and guests with luxurious private amenities and expanded public spaces, including Transamerica Redwood Park, an urban oasis in the heart of the city. Its revitalization now draws thousands of visitors each week, reinforcing the revival of San Francisco’s downtown.
The exhibit comes on the heels of The Vertical City, an exploration of tall buildings by Norman Foster and Foster + Partners, extended through May of this year due to popular demand. These exhibits are part of SHVO’s Pyramid Arts, a new series of public exhibitions celebrating innovation and creativity across the arts and sciences including Pyramid Dreams, which showcases artwork by San Francisco schoolchildren inspired by the Transamerica Pyramid and Les Lalanne, an outdoor sculpture garden by the renowned French artists Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne.
Exhibition Details:
- Location: The Annex at Transamerica Pyramid Center (entrance on Washington Street)
- Dates: Beginning Sunday, May 18, 2025
- Hours: Daily 10am to 5pm
ABOUT SHVO
SHVO is a luxury real estate development and investment firm built on the vision of Chairman & CEO Michael Shvo to create culture-defining experiences in iconic properties. Headquartered in New York City with offices in Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago, SHVO owns and operates a national portfolio valued at more than $8 billion and 4.5 million square feet across commercial office and retail space, hospitality, and luxury residential assets.
The firm’s selective portfolio of architecturally significant properties, from innovative ground up new developments to revitalized landmarks that define skylines in the world’s leading cities, includes the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco, The Raleigh Hotel in Miami Beach, The Red in Chicago, Mandarin Oriental Residences Fifth Avenue in New York City, Mandarin Oriental Residences at 9200 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills and the AMAN New York Hotel and Residences at the Crown building.
Renowned for its expertise, SHVO is fully integrated with highly diversified industry experience in every aspect of acquisitions, finance, development, design, sales, leasing, property management, hospitality, and sustainability.
ABOUT TRANSAMERICA PYRAMID CENTER
The Transamerica Pyramid opened in 1972 at 600 Montgomery Street, long known as the “Wall Street of the West” and the gateway to San Francisco’s Financial District. The quartz-studded concrete tower has over 3,000 windows, rises 853 feet, and was designed by William L. Pereira & Associates, the famed firm that helped pioneer California’s distinctive modernism in the second half of the 20th century. It is currently the tallest pyramid structure on the planet.
The Transamerica Pyramid Center covers an entire city block and includes three buildings totaling approximately 750,000 square feet – the iconic pyramid-shaped tower, the office building at Two Transamerica, and a site set for approximately 100,000 square feet of office redevelopment at Three Transamerica. Anchoring the three buildings is Transamerica Redwood Park, an urban oasis featuring a grove of mature redwood trees shading public open space. Transamerica Pyramid Center reopened in September 2024 following a $1 billion dollar investment by SHVO and Deutsche Finance in partnership with Lord Norman Foster and his global design firm Foster + Partners.
SHVO and Deutsche Finance America acquired the building in 2020 for $650 million, representing the building’s first sale in its history and the United States’ largest commercial transaction to occur amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
www.transamericapyramidcenter.com
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Contacts
Erin Holin, erin.holin@berlinrosen.com
