A Thursday night light show celebrating the public reopening of the Transamerica Pyramid will cover the east-facing side of the tower with an array of precision laser graphics.
It was blockbuster local real estate news when New York-based developer Michael Shvo’s firm SHVO bought the Transamerica Pyramid for nearly $700 million, not long before the pandemic hit in early 2020. And despite the pandemic hardships, Shvo promised an extravagant renovation that ended up coming with a $400 million price tag. These renovations are largely finished, SHVO announced a September public reopening, exciting new restaurants were added to the building’s roster, and even a fabulous new public sculpture garden was added to the Transamerica Pyramid’s new set of attractions.
We are now on the verge of that long-anticipated public reopening, which is scheduled for this Thursday, September 12. The Chronicle reports there will be a 9 am opening ceremony with Shvo, Mayor London Breed, and SF-based experimental music artists Kronos Quartet. That’s sold out, and you cannot get tickets at this point.
But you can still watch Thursday night’s 8:30 pm Pyramid of Light and Sound show, which organizers say will “will engulf the east-facing side of the Pyramid with precision laser graphics.”
The Transamerica Pyramid pic.twitter.com/F5P7r7J3UE
— PJ/Laserstroopwaffle (@masterpj55) September 10, 2024
The Transamerica Pyramid’s new light display, may resemble the sneak preview that some Twitter user caught above, and sure seems like it intends to be direct competition with the Salesforce Tower light display.
While the reopening festivities and light show are Thursday, the official reopening of the Transamerica Pyramid, and its new public parks and areas, is not until Sunday, September 15.
Note: A previous version of this post noted performances by Thievery Corporation and Kronos Quartet, though that is at a private Thursday morning event. This post has also been updated with a statement from the light show's organizers.
Related: Sculpture Garden Comes to Transamerica Pyramid, Featuring Famous French Sculptors
Image: Rich Hay via Unsplash