Foiled: Elon Musk forced to take down new ‘extravagant’ signage from platform’s HQ

San Francisco residents are saying goodbye to the flashing “X” sign that was situated on top of the X’s headquarters. The sign was taken down today after the city initiated an investigation into the bothersome eyesore. The hastily erected sign, which was supported in part by sandbags, had already sparked complaints from residents living near the building. Shoddily erected sign As stated in the city’s complaint, X consistently refused entry to inspectors who were attempting to access the roof, providing the explanation that the X logo was a “temporary lighted sign for an event.” Patrick Hannan, the communications director for the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection and City Planning, told reporters that a notice of violation was issued to the building’s owner, where X’s headquarters are located. Additionally, over the weekend, the Department of Building Inspection and City Planning received 24 complaints about the unpermitted structure. These complaints included concerns about its structural safety and the brightness of its illumination. According to the San Francisco Standard, complaints from neighbours about its overly bright strobing effect led to the removal of the sign from the Elon Musk-owned company’s HQ. Nuisance for everyone around the building Shortly after the sign was installed, the city began questioning its legality. Government inspectors attempted to access the roof as part of their investigation but were denied entry twice, according to a complaint from the city’s Department of Building Inspection. An employee obstructed their access and claimed that the strobing sign was merely a “temporary lighted sign for an event,” as noted in the official complaint.

Imagine no more. This is my life now. https://t.co/k5QfAm8yuG pic.twitter.com/e7ECCM2NUD

— Christopher J. Beale (@realchrisjbeale) July 29, 2023

According to the building’s neighbours who spoke to local news, the strobing sign, which was put up hastily during a rebranding a few days prior, was incredibly annoying. It was only up for a brief three days before being taken down. Miao Gong, a resident living nearby, shared with SF’s Fox affiliate KTVU that the sign’s brightness was so intense that it actually caused discomfort to her eyes. “It was so bright that it was actually hurting my eyes a little bit,” Miao Gong, who lives nearby, told SF’s Fox affiliate KTVU. “I think if it had just stayed on, I could’ve ignored it, but because it kept flashing, it was hard to ignore,” she said. Was meant to be a temporary sign, says Musk After the removal of the strobing “X” sign, the only remnants of it are the two posts on which it was installed. Moreover, following the name change last week, keen observers noticed that the crews also removed the “Twitter” sign from the side of the Market Street headquarters without obtaining a permit. Consequently, the building now appears to be without a name. Elon Musk, the owner of X, had referred to the logo as an “interim” one. It was intended to be a temporary solution while the company worked on creating a newer and more permanent logo to replace their previous bird logo.