Impressive work by GMS (Gilsanz Murray Steficek) Structural Engineers with the Met Life Building in NYC, originally built in 1893 and well-known for its giant, elaborate clock and fancy, pyramidal tower with arched windows.
Check out their article: https://lnkd.in/gF2YzbVE . Thanks Ramon Gilsanz and Alirio Puche, P.E. for sharing this.
The design & engineering feats are fascinating. For example, “the project removed the top seven floors of the original 16-story structure, added a new 18-story tower above the ninth floor, and enclosed the tower with an energy-efficient curtain wall.” Hello!!! Awesome!
And how about those towers... West Coasters might recognize a very similar pyramidal tower from Seattle’s skyline -- the Smith Tower, built in 1910. It’s one of the buildings called out on tours from Puget Sound, and the building has a robust website with info about its history & current opportunities for special events: https://lnkd.in/gGqrqty3 .
I imagine there was a competitive environment between West Coast developers and East Coast developers in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s when West Coast cities were being created, and that perhaps the conversation went like this…. Western Real Estater to his architect: “I want a Tower – BIGGER than that Met Life Tower in New York City!!.... But make it look that Met Life Tower!....” 0 GPT