Quote:
Originally Posted by Steely Dan
Nonsense.
All cladding serves a purpose.
There is zero difference in my mind between a steel frame building clad with masonry and a concrete frame building clad with metal.
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There absolutely is a difference, the metal skin covering up concrete is purely ornamental. It is not required by code. It is not doing anything except masking the true nature of the building.
Terra cotta was required by the city fire code. It HAD to be there, there was no option of leaving the steel exposed. As we can see from the armada of exposed poured concrete towers built in recent history in Chicago, the skin on this tower is entirely optional. It's a farce, a nice looking farce, but it's nothing more than decor.