The Giant, Strobing ‘X’ on Top of Twitter HQ Is Only Temporary, Complaint Says

The massive 'X' sign hastily erected on the roof of Twitter's San Francisco headquarters is temporary and will be taken down after an unspecified event, according to a complaint filed with the city that cited an unidentified employee of the company.

An inspector attempted to inspect the sign on Friday, but Twitter representatives and maintenance engineers reportedly prevented the city worker from accessing the roof. The inspector returned on Saturday but "was denied again by [the] tenant."

The Twitter representatives told the inspector that the structure was a "temporary lighted sign for an event," but the complaint didn't specify when the sign would be taken down.

The new 'X' logo, part of owner Elon Musk's company-wide rebrand, has drawn both curiosity and ire from nearby residents. Social media users speculated about what it might be like to live near the pulsating LED sign.

"Imagine no more," tweeted Christopher Beale, a journalist who lives in a high-rise building next door in the SoMa neighborhood of San Francisco. He shared a video of the X lighting up the night sky near his apartment. "This is my life now."

Beale posted another update Sunday evening, indicating that the light had begun strobing again.

Last week, San Francisco police temporarily halted the dismantling of Twitter's old logo in order to investigate whether the company had submitted a work permit in advance of that project.

Investigators determined that the company had filed a permit but failed to tell the building's owners and security in advance.

The X redesign fulfills Musk's longtime goal of creating a social and financial online hub titled "X.com."

That address now appears to redirect to the Twitter website, and on desktops, the signature bird logo has been replaced with a stylized X in the site's top-left corner.