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Originally Posted by skyscraper
I like the building, I just don't understand how people think that "invoking" another building, or whatever you want to call it, makes a building great. That is postmodern poison.
Just being tall doesn't make it great either. NY WTC pre 9-11 comes to mind.
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I think one could argue that great buildings are in a dialogue their site and surroundings. And one of the most important surroundings is other buildings. "Dialogue" doesn't mean "mindlessly replicate", but it does mean responding to or building off of it in an interesting way. That could be putting your own spin on similar ideas, or it might mean doing something totally different and complementary.
In this case, one of the surroundings is another building, which is incredibly important and iconic. NEMA borrows some ideas from Sears, puts its own spin on it, and marries it with the particular needs of its own site and program. The end result enhances both NEMA and the broader skyline, IMO.