So, I was at a corporate training today and we were standing around at break, and one of my coworkers pointed out the window and mentioned that we were now leasing some space in the building across the street as well. And I made the mistake of questioning why the architect would have done a building with a prominent street-facing facade that’s entirely fortress-like blank concrete from top to bottom, I believe I called it ugly and anti-urban. He pointed out that the building is actually a major landmark designed by I.M. Pei, hence the name of the coffee shop on the ground floor.
Well, whatever, I know he was a great architect and I do like most of his work - Society Hill Towers, Miami Tower, etc., but I still question whether there shouldn’t have been some attempt to make the street level base a bit more welcoming on that side.
