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Photo by Carol M. Highsmith
The design of Hancock Towers is largely that of I.M Pei’s partner Henry Cobb. Although the building had a troubled construction history (dozens of window units cracked and some fell out during a winter storm), it is now considered one of the great skyscrapers of the late-modern period. Off-center grooves make the building’s facades distinctive; and the structure provides an elegant mirror for H. H. Richardson’s Trinity Church.
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Comments (6)
The windows did not fall out due to a mere winter storm. The insulated window units were defectively manufactured in a manner that weakened their perimeter edges, thereby preventing them from being held tightly in place.
Posted by Vernon Reed, FAIA | February 10, 2007 3:46 PM
Posted on February 10, 2007 15:46
This was always one of my favorites. I used to live near there and was grateful it could provide some kind of an antidote to the Prudential Tower.
Yeah, the commentary soft pedaled the window defect. I always glanced up when walking past....
Posted by suits_me | February 12, 2007 4:39 AM
Posted on February 12, 2007 04:39
The photo shows the "old" John Hancock Building on the left; the tower lights up at night, with various colors forcasting the weather (in the summer, "red" means the Red Sox game is cancelled).
You can't appreciate from this photo that the footprint of the "new" John Hancock Building on the right is actually a parallelogram, with 2 acute and 2 obtuse angles. If you position yourself at the base of one of the short sides and look up, it almost looks like the building is really only a mirrored pane of glass, with no depth. Once known as the "plywood skyscraper," the building holds a special place in the Copley Square area.
Posted by P.K. Palmer | February 28, 2007 1:16 AM
Posted on February 28, 2007 01:16
The wrong hancock made the list. Where's Chicago's big black tower?
That's the gem named Hancock in this country, though I do also like the Pei building.
It's sleek and cool.
Posted by Rod | March 15, 2007 4:01 PM
Posted on March 15, 2007 16:01
an utter disaster! the residents in the upper floors suffered from motion sickness, not to mention never knowing when their windows might decide to leave
Posted by Ed Roehm AIA | March 17, 2007 6:00 PM
Posted on March 17, 2007 18:00
Wrong Hancock!
Wrong Hancock!
Posted by Craig Johnson | March 19, 2007 1:54 PM
Posted on March 19, 2007 13:54