When visiting recently, I saw a modern office building near Chinatown (a couple of blocks from the Holiday Inn/Chinese Cultural Center, near Robt. Louis Stevenson Park). It's located near the base of one of the streets that leads up into Chinatown. On the gray mansard-style roof were three white concrete 'wraiths' in long, flowing robes but without heads/faces inside their hoods. Does anyone have any idea what this building is, and/or what the wraiths are supposed to symbolize? Thanks in advance for any help on this.

-- chuck konzelman (wunnadaguys@pacificnet.net), August 06, 2003

Answers

there are 3 on each side. we used to say that they represented the faceless 12 supervisors of san francisco, before we reduced our supervisor count. it was kind of a joke.

-- emperor norton, jr. (dacatlives@yahoo.com), August 10, 2003.

The SF Chronicle had a feature on this a year or two ago. The statues were basically the architect's way of spoofing the concept of putting statues on the tops of buildings; in other words they are statues of nothing.

-- JB (enquiring@yahoo.com), August 22, 2003.

And, boy, did they look creepy being carried up to the roof by helicopter.

-- Rosa (rosadebon@yahoo.com), August 22, 2003.

They have also been called "The Jumpers," FWIW.

-- D. S. Wright (dswlaw@hotmail.com), September 28, 2003.