After it was built, some tenants pushed to have the building painted dark brown so it would look more "finished." Architect publicly protested this step, and the bank remained its simple, and quite effective, Brutalist self.
Take it for what it is. I think it is 10 stories too short.
Under The Radar Los Angeles #1
6 Comments
Another favorite of mine. (The second, closer photo shows it off better.) I've loved this building for 25 years, and sometimes swing down to Pico just to drive by and ogle it.
Thanks for posting, Orhan.
Look at that Citibank logo on top. It's pathetic.
It's a cheap flimsy plastic (non-renewable, non-biodegradable, aka a horrible, deadly material with which we as a society are killing ourselves).
It's clearly designed by a group of marketing specialists, intent on portraying a deeply sociopathic corporate entity as being friendly, non-threatening, and cheerfully protective (umbrella shape, lowercase font).
It's clinging like a scared cat to the side of a building that could crush it. The building was built with passion and belief and confidence, intended to last for generations; the sign could be flicked off like a tiddlywink and replaced with whatever corp-du-jour rents space here.
What a pathetic state the contemporary designed world, and the society these designs reflect, is in.
+++ Donna
good building, worked in the area, passed it often.
Mercury, the Roman god of financial gain, aka, the naked man, remains to rule over!
The midtown Manhattan pictures are really poignant. I've often paused right there and remarked how remarkable Grand Central is. How vibrant and beautiful it is, at the largest scale, and the smallest. And in contrast, what a horrific hole in the city is the Pan Am building.
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