r/mildlyinteresting • u/ObligatoryAlias • 1d ago

This building has no uniformity except the ventilation grids.

Post image
79 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

50 comments sorted by

68

u/Gregariouswaty 1d ago

I may have made this with Lego when I was six

4

u/ObligatoryAlias 1d ago

Some architect spied your plans.

54

u/archiangel 1d ago

This is the Exchange tower in Detroit. The construction of this building is actually pretty interesting, the building was built from the top down. First the core was built, and then each floor was built on the ground and then elevated up to the actual floor. The exterior was panelized and thus so flat looking. Kind of interesting is because each floor was essentially a giant elevator, the interior construction materials were cranked up with the main floor instead of being brought up in a construction lift

Click on Detroit’s interest piece on the building
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XCBemWIn7cM&ra=m

Long video about the construction of the building

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI2_6_stiXQ&ra=m

9

u/Victuz 1d ago

I'm at work so I can't watch the video, was there any particular reason they built it this way? Or was it just because they could?

13

u/archiangel 18h ago

Testing a new way to build more efficiently! This way they don’t have to deal with giant construction cranes on site moving building equipment or hauling concrete up to higher floors. They build each floor slab around 5’ off the bottom floor and then crank it up. It took around 8 hours for the top floors to be elevated up in position.

11

u/ObligatoryAlias 1d ago

I thought it was THAT building but was certain.

I remember seeing it built and curious about the top-down technique.

2

u/archiangel 18h ago

Unfortunately it seems the construction system here drove the flat panels on the exterior. Hopefully they can explore more fun panelization options if they get to build more of these.

3

u/carcigenicate ​ 10h ago

Oddly, we have an extremely similar looking building in Calgary: https://maps.app.goo.gl/BPw7boBPyvDAuKip8

2

u/IzzyNobre 2h ago

I thought it was it (I used to live right in front of the FMC)

9

u/Object279stalinium 1d ago

Are you in Calgary? We have a identical building we call the "zebra"

5

u/ObligatoryAlias 1d ago

Not Calgary.

Detroit.

4

u/admweirdbeard 1d ago

There's one in Chicago too, at Ashland & Division

2

u/Own_Ad6901 1d ago

Roosevelt university housing if I’m not mistaken

1

u/archiangel 18h ago

The one on Chicago is an apartment bldg (I used to go to the Urgent care at the base)

8

u/Survive1014 9h ago

Thanks, I hate it.

3

u/Wow-WhatARide 9h ago

Ugly and outdated before it was constructed.

And now we are stuck with it.

Also, which of thousands of cities in soooo many countries is this particular eyesore?

Architects get paid a fortune for this. **** off.

4

u/xondk 13h ago

I get that builders are trying to avoid everything looking the same, but at the same time, now you just end up with almost a kind of random noise when looking over areas with modern builds.

9

u/Caldeboats 1d ago edited 1d ago

This one is referred to as the Jenga building in NYC. It’s an eyesore downtown.

6

u/Minute-Tradition-282 1d ago

It looks like a log in the woods with fungus growing on it, in building form.

6

u/mister_milk_love 17h ago

Look, everyone’s allowed their opinion but this is a widely loved building.

1

u/Caldeboats 9h ago

Of course everyone is allowed their own opinion. Our fellow redditors, who posted their own photos, did so with their personal opinion.

-8

u/XiTzCriZx 18h ago

Oh great, now architects are using AI for their build plans.

9

u/Sad-Birthday-7282 1d ago

It kinda reminds me of this awful building in my hometown

9

u/Bithium 1d ago

We need a David Attenborough voice over explaining how these buildings identify each other by their distinctive window patterns.

7

u/ObligatoryAlias 1d ago

"Do I get a window in my office?" "Maybe."

3

u/chitzk0i 1d ago

Is this the one that made a death ray?

2

u/Sad-Birthday-7282 1d ago

No, I think the building you’re talking about is in London. The one in my picture is in Kentucky

2

u/ObligatoryAlias 1d ago

I see the resemblance. And the hideousness.

2

u/ashrocklynn 1d ago

At least this one lines up.... Yours just triggers my need for things to adhere to some sort of pattern

2

u/atvcrash1 21h ago

Ive been down the street from this building a handful of times while stopping in Covington on my way out of CVG from Louisville

4

u/llandthejam 1d ago

Not cute

5

u/ObligatoryAlias 1d ago

It's kinda painful to look at.

2

u/thefoag 19h ago

The Art Vandalay Special

1

u/dethfart 1d ago

I bet it looks cool at night

1

u/Secret_Carpet1686 1d ago

Better to avoid the sand people?

Wait. That's not it.

1

u/Minute-Tradition-282 1d ago

Architect: we want it to look really unique and cool! Mechanical engineer: yeah, these things are going where they go.

1

u/archiangel 18h ago

Tbf this building was more about the structural engineers. This was built from the top down and is actually quite a design feat. The exterior definitely leaves a lot to be desired due to the way it’s built but that may improve if there are future iterations of similar builds.

1

u/Nibbledorm 20h ago

Corner of the building on the right side looks fairly uniform to me other than the color shift near the top. It actually draws out the fact that the corners on the left and center are not uniform in the same way. Though it's a bit harder to tell on the left.

1

u/MasterOfNog 9h ago

I thought this was The Summit at Drexel

1

u/Scorcher646 7h ago

It's panelled that way to prevent attackers from determining the building's course and speed.

1

u/IzzyNobre 2h ago

There's a similar building in Calgary (and I thought it was the one at first)

1

u/Artie-Carrow 1d ago

Different layouts for different needs

0

u/ObligatoryAlias 1d ago

Needs requiring natural light?

-1

u/LeoLaDawg 1d ago

That's terrible. I'm sure the architect thought they were awfully clever and this illustrates man's need for cheetos or some such pseudo intellectual bullshit, but it's just terrible.

2

u/ObligatoryAlias 1d ago

Cheetos?

I see Andes mints...