Prism
May 15–18, 2026
For three nights in May 2026, the sky above San Francisco became a large-scale work of public art.
PRISM used twelve Laser Space Cannons to create the illusion of light passing directly through the Transamerica Pyramid.
Six beams were projected north toward Coit Tower.
Six more projected south toward One Sansome.
Carefully aligned across the skyline, the installation connected three San Francisco landmarks through light and geometry.
A Different Kind of Skyline
PRISM used the Transamerica Pyramid as the center point of a city-scale optical illusion — a subtle civic-scale nod to the Dark Side of the Moon album cover, with beams of light appearing to pass directly through the Pyramid and out into the San Francisco night sky.
Fittingly, the installation began on Friday, May 15, during a new moon, when the sky itself was at its darkest.
From many parts of San Francisco, the beams appeared to pass directly through the apex of the tower.
The weather throughout the weekend was unusually clear. San Francisco’s fog — often part of Illuminate laser works — barely appeared.
Instead, the beams showed up with striking sharpness against the night sky. Thousands of photos and videos circulated online, many looking almost computer-generated despite being completely real.
The clarity gave the installation a very different feeling than expected: less atmospheric, more geometric.
Gathering Around Light
One of the most meaningful parts of the weekend was how people gathered around the installation.
North Beach was full of people throughout the evenings. Sidewalks, bars, restaurants, and parks became informal viewing areas as people looked up together and shared vantage points.
Coit Tower became a calm nighttime gathering place. Families, photographers, couples, tourists, and longtime San Franciscans sat quietly beneath the beams as they crossed the skyline.
No tickets.
No fenced perimeter.
Just light in public space.
The weekend became a reminder that uplifting public art can change the feeling of a city, even temporarily.
Gratitude
Deep thanks to Yoda Group, the new owners of the Transamerica Pyramid, for supporting the project and allowing the Pyramid to become part of the artwork.
Special thanks to the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department for their partnership and stewardship of Coit Tower and Telegraph Hill.
And sincere appreciation to Barker Pacific Group for providing last-minute permission to incorporate One Sansome into the installation.
Huge credit as always to Illuminate’s creative and technical partners on laser projects, Nu-Salt Laser International, Inc., whose experience and experimentation continue to push this evolving art form forward.
By Monday morning, the beams were gone.
But for one weekend, people across San Francisco stopped, looked up, and experienced the city a little differently together.
