A modern cathedral of commerce.

It may not be quite in the league of the scissors arches at Wells Cathedral in Somerset, but the attention to detail in the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco and the elegant execution holds its own in the world of modern architecture. For whatever reason, these snaps seem to work nicely in a square format.

Base of the Transamerica Building. Panasonic LX-1, 28mm, 1/1000, f/3.6, ISO 100.

Another view. Panasonic LX-1, 28mm, 1/640, f/3.6, ISO 100.

The fourteenth century designer of these arches in Wells Cathedral may not have had access to modern computers, but he did OK, no? Notice how the doughnuts confer strength while adding beauty. Simply wonderful. Somehow I think his work will outlast the Pyramid, given America’s love of tearing down good architecture.

An older cathedral of commerce. The scissor arches were an afterthought to spread the load. Some afterthought!

And let’s not get too high fallutin’ about motives here. Both clients were interested in one thing – making some coin. It’s just that the folks who commissioned Wells were smart enough not to pay taxes, whereas the underwriters at Transamerica really would prefer that life was infinite as that means they would never have to pay up on all those life policies …. and you though life insurers were callous and uncaring?

Disclosure: I have a thumping great big term life policy issued by Transamerica on my life, so my son, the beneficiary, prays that the Pyramid and its owners remain standing. Me? I don’t care. Once I’m gone, that’s all she wrote.