Construction Ecology: The Seagram Building (1956–)

Densities, Energy and sustainability, Essay, expanding design practices, Formats, High Density, Kiel Moe, Topics, Unless

Building, Building Technology, Carbon-emissions, Concrete, Economy, Energy flow, Essay, History, Iconic architecture, Metabolism, New York, Performative Envelope, Political & Economic Approach, Power of materiality, Real Estate, Research, Steel, Stereotomy, Urban Development, Urban ecology, Urban environment, USA

This essay is an excerpt of "Unless" by Kiel Moe, published by Actar Publishers -- https://lccn.loc.gov/2019951100

Construction on the Seagram Building commenced with the completion of the Montana’s demolition in January 1956. The spring of that year was occupied by excavation operations that would soon accommodate the building’s massive steel and concrete footings, a significant portion of the building’s subterranean mechanical plant, and parking for one hundred vehicles. By June, the concrete retaining walls were filled by steel framing and formed the base of the tower and its future plaza, used during construction as a construction yard. By the end of summer 1956, the steel framing rose several stories above grade and was soon followed by board-formed concrete that encased the steel structure. By the fall, steel brackets methodically mounted to steel and concrete perimeter frame of the Seagram Building began to accept the longest of the famous I-beam extrusions that are the structure of its envelope. Contrary to many accounts of the Seagram Building, these I-beams are not steel, nor even bronze. What is referred to as the “bronze” envelope of the Seagram Building is actually a brass alloy oiled and oxidized to look like bronze.