Neighbors immediately started complaining about a flashing and strobing X sign constructed on top of the downtown San Francisco office building.
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Well, that was fast. Twitter, which is currently rebranding itself to X, is now removing the giant, garishly lit X logo that was placed on top of its San Francisco headquarters, as previously reported by CNBC and ABC7 News. The sign, rapidly erected and supported in part by sandbags, had already received complaints from residents living near the building.
According to the city’s complaint, Twitter repeatedly denied access to inspectors seeking access to the roof, explaining to them that the X logo was a “temporary lighted sign for an event.”
Patrick Hannan, communications director for the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection and City Planning, confirmed to The Verge in an email that a notice of violation was issued to the owner of the building that houses Twitter’s headquarters and that “over the weekend, the Department of Building Inspection and City Planning received 24 complaints about the unpermitted structure, including concerns about its structural safety and illumination.”
He added that no permit was sought for the logo’s dismantlement this morning but that “due to safety concerns, the permit can be secured after the structure is taken down.”
Hannan said the department would fine the building’s owner for “building permits for the installation and removal of the structure” and to cover the department’s inspection and investigation costs.
Videos of the logo over the weekend showed a bright light that pulsed and crawled across the logo, which the company just began using about a week ago. In one video, crews could be seen finishing the removal of the Twitter sign from the side of the building.
Twitter owner Elon Musk previously called the logo an “interim” one, in place while the company worked on a newer, more permanent one to replace the company’s former bird logo.
Update July 31st, 2023, 5:41PM ET: Added comments from the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection and City Planning’s communication director.
