Imagine a gleaming white pyramid 853 feet high, with a spire of 212 feet and slope angle of 5 degrees, set in the financial district of one of the largest cities in the United States.
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| Ancient Egyptian Pyramids |
Is the above a quote from a new science fiction novel? No. It is the advertising copy put out by the real estate company selling space in “The Transamerica Pyramid.” Billed as “A San Francisco Landmark Since 1972,” this building is the first in the United States to be constructed in the pyramid shape (see Fig. 35).
One thing is certain, the Transamerica Pyramid will not be unique for too long. Already, at the time of this writing, the Unity Church of Christianity in Houston, Texas, is in the process of erecting a pyramid church in scale proportion to the Great Pyramid of Giza. This idea was conceived by the church’s minister, John D. Rankin, and has captured the interest of the entire construction industry. When completed, the building will cover a total area of 9,206 square feet and will be a total of 6314 feet high. In order to assure that the pyramid was oriented on the true north axis, a staff member of Houston’s Burde Baker Planetarium was called in as a consultant, and it is now alleged that the church is aligned sixty times more accurately with true north than is the Great Pyramid itself.
The sides of the church, like those of the Great Pyramid, are the same length as the base, minus 5 percent. The 89-foot square base is eight feet above the ground, allowing the space underneath to be used for maintenance rooms, restrooms, etc. The total pyramid effect is accomplished by surrounding the entire structure with sloping grass berms. A wide expanse of glass has been used for the main entry and the entire pyramid will be covered with gold colored aluminum siding.
In the interior, the sloping floor of the nave of the church will allow for maximum visibility. The sanctuary will seat 550 to 600 persons in the kind
The Transamerica Pyramid. A San Francisco Landmark Since 1971 of seats used in theaters. Included in the floor plans are a slightly elevated altar and pulpit with rheostat controls for the lighting of the church, sound control systems in the chancel area, an upper choir loft and space for the organist.
The interior colors planned for the pyramid- church are described as warm rather than bright. There will be a predominance of natural wood and exposed brick walls.
It is expected that construction will be completed in the spring of 1974.
Whether or not the users of these buildings will benefit from the pyramidal shapes remains to be seen. Certainly, it would be interesting to survey some of the job holders who work in the Transamerica Pyramid to find out if the shape of the building has affected them in any way specifically, if they have noticed a decrease in tension and anxiety and/ or an increase in their energy levels since they began spending eight hours a day, five days a week, inside the pyramid-shaped structure. Equally interesting would be to poll the parishioners of the new Houston Unity Church of Christianity and discover whether or not they are experiencing a new-found sense of peace and fulfillment in the new church and/or whether or not they believe their prayers are answered more often when they are offered inside a pyramid-shaped edifice.
Following the lead set by Transamerica and the Unity Church, Cheops, Inc., a California-based firm, is selling architectural plans to those individuals who wish to build their own pyramid-houses. Although they have been selling these plans for approximately one year, we have not as yet been able to obtain any information as to how well the business is doing, or how the owner/builders are reacting to living in pyramid-houses.
We believe that these pyramid buildings are just the beginning the progenitors of an entire civilization of pyramid structures used for an infinite variety of purposes.
It would also be interesting to experiment with the pyramid in outer space, to find out if, when not in the sway of earth’s magnetic force field, it still retains its inexplicable properties.
Should research prove that even in an extraterrestrial atmosphere, the powers of the pyramid still exist, NASA might want to consider placing pyramidal structures in spacecraft to aid in the prolonging of flights into outerspace. At present there is some research going on into the use of the freezing process as a means of slowing down the metabolic rate of an astronaut so that a few years could physiologically have no more effect on a human than a few minutes. Perhaps the pyramid, with its preservative powers, could be used as a supplemental aid, or even a substitute, for this cryonics process.
It is natural to wonder if there is not some way in which the pyramid could be used to light and supply needed electrical power to small cities. One suggestion is that perhaps solar energy could be absorbed and stored in a pyramid constructed of the most viable materials possible for absorbing the electro-magnetic energy of the sun. Or perhaps some form of generator could be operated on the tremendous heat energy contained in a giant pyramid. Still another possibility is that scientists will discover that a pyramid constructed of some type of metal, or oriented on the north-south axis, will become magnetically charged to the extent that it could provide power to light homes.
It has been suggested that the pyramid shape might be used for focusing the highly structured laser beam. Perhaps lasers focused through the apices of pyramids could be used to disperse threatening storms in instances where loss of life and property damage is possible.
Ancient Egyptian Pyramids :
- Egyptian Pyramids: Today and Tomorrow Part 1
- Egyptian Pyramids: Today and Tomorrow Part 2
- Egyptian Pyramids: Today and Tomorrow Part 3
- Egyptian Pyramids: Today and Tomorrow Part 4
- Egyptian Pyramids: Today and Tomorrow Part 5
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