From the Transamerica Building and Alcatraz Island to the Golden Gate Bridge, many famous and prominent buildings make up the San Francisco skyline. The second most crowded city America, a look at the skyline from a distance belies the hustle and bustle of this modern city. With many modern skyscrapers, the skyline of San Francisco rivals even the most cosmopolitan city.
Transamerica Building
Rising over 850 feet above Montgomery Street, the Transamerica Building has left its mark on the San Francisco skyline since its completion in 1972. The buildings 48 floors provide office and commercial space and the exterior of the building is covered in crushed white granite.
555 California Street
The second tallest building in San Francisco, 555 California Street actually has more usable floor space than its taller cousin. At 779 feet, the building is modern in design and was the tallest building in the city until the completion of the Transamerica Building.
The Golden Gate Bridge
Spanning the opening of San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge connects Marin County, California with the rest of the Bay Area. Considered by many people to be a modern wonder of the world, the Golden Gate Bridge was the longest steel cable suspension bridge in the world when it was completed in 1937. The total length of the bridge is nearly 9000 feet and the towers rise over 740 feet above the bay. Thought to be resistant to the earthquakes that plague Northern California, the bridge has undergone a retrofit to strengthen it.
San Francisco History
San Francisco Bay was discovered by the Spanish explorer Gasper de Portola in 1769. By 1776, Franciscan friars had established a mission. Soon after the mission was established, the Spanish government stationed a garrison of troops near the site. The settlement remained rather small until the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in 1848. Within a very short period of time, the area saw a tremendous influx of people, most of whom were determined to find wealth and fame in the gold fields.
The San Francisco Bay provided a natural harbor, establishing San Francisco as a major port of trade and immigration. The completion of the Transcontinental Railway helped to connect the city with the rest of the country and propelled the city’s growth into the Twentieth Century. The population has grown steadily to a point where over 4 million people now call the Bay Area home.
The Great San Francisco Earthquake
At 5:16 on the morning of April 18, 1906, an earthquake struck the city causing massive damage. Many buildings were constructed of unreinforced brick and masonry which could not withstand the violent shaking that went on for almost one minute. The United States Geological Survey estimates that over 3000 masonry structures were destroyed.
More staggering than the loss of brick and mortar buildings was the loss of over 24,000 wood structures to the devastating fire that erupted when the shaking stopped. The quake damaged water and natural mains which fueled the fire and left rescuers with no way to fight it. Attempts to create fire breaks by using dynamite failed and actually helped the fire to spread. Burning for almost 4 days, the fire consumed much of the city leaving over half of the city’s 400 thousand residents homeless.
Rising from the Ashes
As reconstruction of the city began, planners noticed that several two steel framed buildings survived the quake. In what would become a standard building practice, unreinforced masonry buildings were rendered obsolete and steel framing become the norm. Post quake San Francisco became a city of wider streets and high rise buildings designed to withstand future earthquakes. With many older buildings still in use, it will be many years before every structure is earthquake resistant.
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