We Become Accustomed – Part 3
Having discussed the steel framing and the basic curtain wall of an incredibly-average 1926 office building, I want to take a look at the
Journal
Our work with old buildings has us studying a lot of different topics in addition to structural engineering – for example, architecture, history, and historic preservation – and we like sharing stories about what we’ve found.
We Become Accustomed – Part 2
Yesterday I talked about the process of erecting a steel frame at the Astor Building. At some point, a curtain wall
We Become Accustomed – Part 1
I want to spend a few days talking about a building that is not very exciting, because it illustrates an
A For Effort
I’ve shown a few old train stations with curved steel in their canopies. The picture above, taken yesterday at the Peekskill station on the MTA Hudson Line – AKA,
A Solution To An Intractable Problem
People usually like regular geometry, and I’d argue that architects like it more than the general public. That can create
It Looked Familiar: Unmistakable
Ms. Marvel is set largely in Jersey City. Despite being the second-largest city in New Jersey, Jersey City does not
Another Tool
Our inspections tend to be very close up – one of my first, in 1988, had me lying on the
A Hidden Surprise, But Not Really
The picture above shows the nearly-complete Astor Court Apartments, on Broadway between 89th and 90th Street, in 1915. (As a side note,
Previous Work
A minor point, but it never hurts to look at the details. The photo above shows repair work on a
One Event, Two Views
On July 9, 1776, a bunch of New Yorkers – who maybe or maybe were not part of an organized
Probably Not Realistic
The “Vue de la Nouvelle Yorck” is listed at the New York Public Libarry as being probably from 1775. It’s
Moving Goalposts
The image above, of the Grand Union Hotel on the east side of Park Avenue is labelled by the New
A Change For Economy
The 1868 lithograph above shows the building that would soon after become known as the Tweed Courthouse. The Tweed Ring
It Looked Familiar: An Impossible View
Above, Iron Man flies past the Chrysler Building. I was trying to figure out if the buildings in the background
The Big Time
We’re working on the Gothic Bridge in Central Park, seen above. Tim went to the night-before prep for the Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving
And the menu above provides a goal for dinner.
A Desperately-Needed Addendum
My intention with the last blog post, The More Things Stay The Same was not to leave everyone with a
The More Things Stay The Same
Above, an article from the Real Estate Record and Guide of October 15, 1910. It speaks for itself to some degree, and,
Before Iron
The photo above, from the NYPL digital archive, shows South William Street (AKA a block from our office) in the
Reality Is Better Looking
Above, another hotel appointment card, this time from the Gilsey House. The hotel was completed in 1871, with that incredible cast-iron