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A vertical thrustThis skyscraper is one of two in this city of the architect's birth. (See also the Rainier Tower.) His buildings are often seen as examples of "decorated International style," a description perhaps borne out by the arcade at the building's base, and certainly borne out by the base of his more famous World Trade Center towers. (See the buildings here before they destroyed.) While the spandrels emphasize the upward thrust, the horizontal beams are decorated. See below for a detail. Oddly, the corners are columnless--which underlines that the columns do not bear the load of the building in any ordinary sense. To some the appearance may be as disconcerting as early Brunelleschi courtyards where the corner clearly created a problem. |
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