The fig is at least 20 ft. tall, and is more like a big shrub with 6 or 8 trunks. It would be much more useful if it were about 1/2 that height. The health of the tree is the most important thing, with shape, new wood and fruit production being secondary. Most of the  trunks are  6- 8 inches in diameter at about 8 ft. Some people have advocated "topping" at about 6-8 ft., but I'm pretty sure there would be no way to make that good looking. I have thought about cutting maybe 2 or 3 trunks at staggered heights of 4-6 ft. this year and then trying something similar next year but am not sure where that will end up. Does anyone have any suggestions?

See photos from Axier in Spain at http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fig/msg0217352311759.html?7

I have plans to do something similar next year to an old tree.

Thank you Jon. I was going to post the same thing here.

I have literally copied it, but I would like to add an important thing; due to it is an adult tree, the cuts will be of big surface and the fig wood doesn't cicatrize well. It is mandatory to use mastic (the black stuff in the picutre) or resin to cover the cuts to avoid the emergence of chancres, which once inside the wood would progress without remedy and little by little would kill the tree.

Against the chancre, only the preventative care is useful.

Look these pictures, they show how was my fig tree before pruned (15' tall), once pruned in January 2006 and, at last, in September 2006.

In any case, it was continuously disturbed after pruned on account of lot of grafts that I did in the spring-summer 2006. If I had left it alone, it probably had grown taller.
(sorry for the bad quality of the first picture, it was taken with a mobile phone)

Before pruning:

Just pruned in January 2006:

I have been trying to include a link or picture of the intended victim but not having a lot of luck. Jon, is there a photo insertion tutorial or how to somewhere?

So here is the first victim. It is probably 18 ft or so, and needs to come down to no more than 8-10 ft.  It is in a public space and I really don't want it to look butchered.
If I lower 2 of the taller branches to 6-8 ft. this year, then continue bringing the rest down in height over the next couple of years will I just be prolonging the uglies? I will also lower the rest of the branches but not as dramatically  and clean up the usual stuff that should be done - crossed branches and so on. 
Again their main purpose is to supply new wood for cuttings - but I think they should still look good.