Art in San Francisco: The Salesforce Tower | SFM Ambassador Scott Benbow’s City Guide
If you’ve seen a photo of San Francisco’s skyline in the last few years, chances are you’ve spotted a sleek, silvery needle that rises high above the City: the Salesforce Tower. At 1,070 feet with 61 stories of glass and steel, it’s the tallest tower in Northern California. However, this skyscraper is more than just a big office building. After dark, it’s a prime example of the City’s cutting-edge public art.
Edited by Pavlína Marek
Located about a mile from the start and finish lines of the San Francisco Marathon, in the South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood, Salesforce Tower sits in the heart of downtown San Francisco. It’s surrounded by a mix of high-rises, startups, and beloved local landmarks like the Embarcadero waterfront.
The building was completed in 2018 and is named for its main tenant, Salesforce, a software company that specializes in customer relationship management tools (and whose name you’ll see on a lot of buildings around town).
A Piece of Art
The tower’s design is subtle, with rounded edges and a soft taper that helps it blend into the city’s famously foggy skies. But what really makes it stand out—especially at night—is the illuminated art at the top. Known as Day for Night, this ever-changing light installation spans six stories and consists of 11,000 LEDs. Created by artist Jim Campbell, it displays abstract, low-resolution video footage of daily life in San Francisco, like people walking or birds flying. The effect is hypnotic.
Campbell’s work turns the Tower into a mammoth lighthouse of modern architecture and art. Thankfully, there’s no advertising or branding—just art. It’s one of the largest public art installations in the world, and unlike a mural or sculpture, it’s constantly in motion. For a city that prides itself on innovation and imagination, it’s a perfect fit.
The Salesforce Tower (and the Salesforce Park) was also featured in a striking video from September 2020, when forest fires in nearby counties darkened the skies over San Francisco with an otherworldly and perhaps apocalyptic orange.
A Piece of Paradise
At the base of the tower is Salesforce Park, an unexpected oasis in the sky. The 5.4-acre rooftop park sits above the Salesforce Transit Center and is accessible to the public via elevators, escalators, and a gondola. With its walking trails, lush gardens, and rotating art and music programming, the park offers a peaceful escape from the hustle below—and unbeatable views of the tower and beyond. It’s also a favorite lunch spot for local office workers and a delightful surprise for visiting tourists.
You’ll see the Tower at the start, finish, and at many other locations along the course. For me, it has served as a beacon especially in the final 10K of the Marathon because it is so close to the finish line.
While Salesforce Tower may first grab your attention for its height, it earns its place in the City’s heart through artistry, design, and a surprising touch of greenery. Whether you’re gazing up at its glowing crown or strolling through the garden in the sky, it offers a fresh perspective on what a modern skyscraper—and city—can be.
About Scott Benbow
Scott Benbow is a San Francisco Marathon Ambassador, attorney, nonprofit specialist, and passionate SFM runner. He lives in San Francisco and runs the hills of our incredibly beautiful city with us every year.
