W
hen Foster + Partners transformed the Transamerica Pyramid for Shvo, it wasn't about adding to San Francisco's iconic skyline, but rather stripping away decades of additions. According to Ben Dobbin, senior partner at the London-based firm's San Francisco studio, this process doubled the usable outdoor space in the Redwood Park by removing brick walls and structural elements that separated the park from sister towers Two Transamerica and Three Transamerica.

    By taking away metal louvers, dropped ceilings, and a fire escape on the ground floor, the divided lobby was unified. The removal of mismatched materials and their replacement with bronze fixtures throughout the building lent visual consistency to its design. "We had to pull things away – pull, pull, pull – and take it back to its raw bones," Dobbin said.

    The 25-architect team worked in collaboration with London counterparts, including founder Lord Norman Foster, for four years after Shvo closed on the property for $650 million in 2020. Foster's fingerprints are evident throughout the redesign, which included personally selecting whimsical animal sculptures by Les Lalanne for the Redwood Park.

    The building's public unveiling last week featured performances and speeches, highlighting the new lobby with a coffee bar and flower shop, as well as The Annex, a solarium filled with models of Foster's famous works. The remodel has cost $250 million so far, with plans to add built-out office suites in various points within the pyramid.

    Outside the building, a 50,000-square-foot glass and concrete addition to Three Transamerica was approved by the San Francisco Planning Department last year. Construction is expected to start in late 2025 after months of engagement with the city. The Foster team's plan will retain existing facades while adding new floors, retail space, and higher ceilings.

    The Redwood Park, once feeling like "the backside" of the buildings, is now the centerpiece, thanks to the removal of structural elements and the addition of a fountain and trees transferred from the Santa Cruz Mountains in the 1970s. Dobbin sees this project as not just a refurbishment but a master plan for the entire city block.