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Frightening look at the Citicorp building and the design flaws

Was susceptible to total collapse. Wonder how many other buildings are flawed and no one knows.

[quote]Citicorp Center’s design was not universally loved. But the scale and ambition of its engineering were undeniable. In a review, the Times’ architecture critic Paul Goldberger concluded that the bank’s new office, despite lacking in originality, would “probably give more pleasure to more New Yorkers than any other high‐rise building of the decade.”

[quote]This prediction almost proved disastrously far from the truth. In fact, were it not for two college students who helped uncover a grave flaw in the building’s engineering, Citicorp Center might have killed thousands of New Yorkers.

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by Anonymousreply 14August 15, 2025 10:01 PM

Um, this happened in the late 70s, OP -- look it up. But thanks for playing.

by Anonymousreply 1August 15, 2025 4:16 PM

Thanks OP that article was really interesting. The article was posted 6 hours ago about events in the late 70s R1. Work on your grammar before your snark.

by Anonymousreply 2August 15, 2025 4:20 PM

This came to public light at least a couple of decades ago, but most people are still not aware of this, even New Yorkers.

by Anonymousreply 3August 15, 2025 4:40 PM

R3, very few New Yorkers knew or know what shoddy work might have been done to other buildings in the city. It is the subject of a new book; hence the article.

[quote]Now, a comprehensive new book on the crisis, “The Great Miscalculation: The Race to Save New York City’s Citicorp Tower,” delves into the human stories behind the events of 1978 — especially that of William LeMessurier, the structural engineer who blew the whistle on himself after being alerted to potential errors in his calculations.

by Anonymousreply 4August 15, 2025 6:30 PM

I saw a documentary about this a few months ago. Very interesting.

They applied this fix which sounded like complete hokum to me, but I’m not an architect or a builder, so what do I know.

by Anonymousreply 5August 15, 2025 6:56 PM

PBS (I think) had a great documentary on just this a few decades ago.

by Anonymousreply 6August 15, 2025 7:00 PM

Ok here’s the documentary I watched, hosted by this saucy little minx of a twink:

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by Anonymousreply 7August 15, 2025 7:08 PM

Thanks, r7. I have saved that to watch later.

by Anonymousreply 8August 15, 2025 7:12 PM

R7 The adorable host is Henry Van Dyck.

by Anonymousreply 9August 15, 2025 8:15 PM

First mistake is thinking that was the FIRST time and architect made an engineers work more difficult!

by Anonymousreply 10August 15, 2025 8:31 PM

Shit like this is still happening in NY today:

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by Anonymousreply 11August 15, 2025 8:33 PM

r5 is my new crush for using the word "hokum".

by Anonymousreply 12August 15, 2025 8:33 PM

R7 Great little doc, thanks for posting!

by Anonymousreply 13August 15, 2025 9:04 PM

Yes, r7. Just watched it. Really fascinating and informative.

by Anonymousreply 14August 15, 2025 10:01 PM
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