555 California Street

• Transcendence — Masayuki Nagare
  Black granite; Located at the west side of elevated plaza; artwork is always accessible.
  Installed 1969.

1. Sep 1981

   Additions alterations or repairs.

   Complete Permit 8108282 $$$ $30,000
2. May 2007

   Oti-1, ha 555 owners llc, 32nd floor, el, ls, sp.

   Complete Permit 200705292431 $$$ $3,000,000
3. Dec 2007

   18th floor: full floor t.i. for minor demolition, construction new partitions, acoustic ceiling, mep, millwork & finishes. (life safety & sprinklers under separate permit.).

   Complete Permit 200712069824 $$$ $5,250,000
4. Nov 2012

   Partial demolition and new fit out of existing tenant. new fit of main reception, restrooms, private offices, pantry, conference and supporting spaces. fire alaarm & sprinkler under separate permis.

   Complete Permit 201211214715 $$$ $2,800,000
5. Jun 2014

   35 & 36/f -tenant improvements for morgan stanley including building architectural, mep scope of work. interior renovation & expansion with existing build at 35th fl & 36th fl.

   Complete Permit 201406300034 $$$ $1,500,000
6. Nov 2015

   13th floor - demolition existing non-structural partitions, doors/frames, millwork, ceiling grid & tile, lighting, power & finishes. new non-structural partitions, doors/frames, ceilings, lighting. no change in occupancy, no change in floor area. life safety & fire sprinklering is design build under separate.

   Complete Permit 201511203197 $$$ $2,859,840
7. Feb 2016

   12th fl. demoltion of existing non-structural partitns, doors/frames, millwork, ceiling grid & tile, lighting, power & finishes. nw non-structural partitions. doors/frames, cieling, lighting, & finishes. no change in occupancy & no change in floor area. l/s, fire sprkl under seprte permit. n/a for maher.

   Complete Permit 201602290729 $$$ $2,859,840
8. Jun 2016

   Concourse- non-structural demolition, new non structural partitions, lighting, millwork, finishes. life safety & sprinkler under separate permit. structural scope for pivoting door system and wood slat wall as defferred submittal. no change in occupancy, area or use. n/a ordinance #155-13.

   Complete Permit 201606139733 $$$ $5,128,000
9. Sep 2016

   29/f- interior ti of offices, conference rooms, pantry. minor demolition. new drywall partitions, ceiling, mep, millwork & finishes. no exterior, hazmat or structural work.

   Complete Permit 201609016578 $$$ $3,300,000
10. Jun 2019

    18th fl - interior ti improvement to existing 18th fl new partitions, doors, walls, ceiling fixture & millwork. meps included. life safety & sprinklers under separate permit.

    Complete Permit 201906173527 $$$ $2,600,000
11. Jun 2021

    9/f: full floor single t.i. inlcuding new partitions, lighting and millwork, . no structural work and no change of use. deffered mep work.

    Complete Permit 202106243139 $$$ $2,793,670
12. Jun 2021

    8th floor full floor single tenant improvement including new partitions, lighting, and millwork. no structural work. no change of use. deferred mep.

    Complete Permit 202106253245 $$$ $2,793,670
13. Jul 2021

    10th floor - t.i. full floor single tenant improvement. new patitions, lightings, and millwork. no structural works and no change of use. deffered mep work.

    Complete Permit 202107194625 $$$ $3,008,592
14. Jul 2021

    4th floor: full floor single tenant improvement. including new partitions, lighting and millwork. no structural work and no change of use. deffered mep work.

    Complete Permit 202107194659 $$$ $3,008,592
15. Sep 2021

    7/f: full floor single tenant improvement including new partitions, lithgting and millwork. no change ofuse. deffered mep work. maher n/a.

    Complete Permit 202109178673 $$$ $3,008,592
16. Aug 2022

    27/f: commercial t.i. new non-structural partitions, new acoustal ceilings, new finishes, new lighting, new restrooms including mep work and new fsd's.

    Complete Permit 202208190901 $$$ $3,120,000
17. Aug 2024

    6th/f t.i. included new partitions, lighting, power, furniture, equipment. mep deferred for separate permit app.

    Complete Permit 202408168893 $$$ $3,008,592
18. Oct 2024

    T.i. consists of office remodel with new office, meeting room, work rooms, break room, and pantry. new led lighting & finises throughout. d.a. upgrades to restrooms. mechanical work, duct redistribution and addition of equipment electrical work: new led lighting & controls, new isms system.

    Complete Permit 202410213343 $$$ $2,500,000
19. May 2025

    52nd fl: tenant improvement. new partitions, ceilings, finishes with associated mep.

    Issued Permit 202505096128 $$$ $4,360,000
20. Oct 2025

    23/f: demolition of non-structural partitions and doors/frames, construction of demising partitions, non-rated multi tenant hallway and buildback of restrooms, passenger elevator lobby and freight elevator lobby. no change in occupancy, use or floor area. ref permit application 202508284089.

    Issued Permit 202510157422 $$$ $2,891,600
21. Oct 2025

    46/fl- partitions, ceilings, fixtures, finishes and associated mep.

    Issued Permit 202510217842 $$$ $5,314,000
22. Dec 2025

    45th fl - tenant improvement partitions, ceiing & finishes.

    Issued Permit 202512010639 $$$ $5,314,000
23. Dec 2025

    L41: ti. non-structural partitions, finishes, millwork, ceilings for new offices, meeting rooms and break areas.

    Filed Permit 202512161909 $$$ $5,419,764
24. Mar 2026

    31/fl- remodel existing office space, propsed ti work entails new non bearing partitiosn, millwork, ceiling system with new lighting, power and communication fixtures and furniture systems. floor and wall finishes.

    Issued Permit 202603238106 $$$ $8,285,917
25. Jul 2026

    50th floors: office t.i - new partitions and offices. new finishes on existing stairs between 50 and 51 floors. mep deferred. ref demolition permit 202606092855.

    Issued Permit 202607144994 $$$ $3,800,000

DBI holds 2,122 permits for this parcel, most of them tenant improvements on individual floors. The timeline shows the 24 largest by stated cost, plus the earliest on file; the DBI query in the sources below returns all 2,122. 9 of them are nominal $1 street-space or sidewalk permits.

Masayuki Nagare carved Transcendence from 200 tons of black Swedish granite for A. P. Giannini Plaza. The San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen gave it the name the city has used since. Nagare was born at Nagasaki on 14 February 1923 and died on 7 July 2018.

The tower was the tallest building west of the Mississippi until the Transamerica Pyramid passed it in 1972. In April 2018 the United States Geological Survey listed it among 39 San Francisco high-rises whose welded steel frames could be compromised in a strong earthquake.