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Analysis of the existing condition of the building has necessitated the opening up of various inspection holes, resulting in a unique opportunity to study the details of the structure. The steel frame, designed by Edward Shankland, used Gray columns, a patent system using riveted plates and T-sections.(Fig.3) Since the cladding surrounding the column supporting the corner of the building has been removed, the skeletal nature of the iron frame is visibly apparent.(Fig.4) Likewise, the removal of the finish surfaces of the outside wall clearly show the cast iron members which hold the plate glass and masonry walls in place, showing the complete independence of the wall system from the structural frame.(Fig.5) Inspection holes in the exterior terra cotta cladding also demonstrate the non-structural character of the glazed cladding.(Fig.6) Not only are structural details visible through these inspection holes, but original architectural finishes are visible as well. For example, the original floor pattern in the lobby has been uncovered, its colorful pattern in stark contrast to the rather utilitarian terrazzo surface which has covered it for decades.(Fig.7) Perhaps the most interesting detail in the building is the bundle of gas pipes exiting the vertical chases adjacent to the exterior columns.(Fig.8) These pipe stubs, now capped, are mute testimony to the gas lighting systems in use at the time of the building's construction. One can only wonder what the atmosphere in the building would have been like after the gas lamps would have been lit in the building on a cloudy winter afternoon.
Adapting older skyscrapers for contemporary uses can be rather difficult. Chief among these difficulties is the small floor plate of these older buildings. Most clients want much larger offices than a single floor of many older skyscrapers. For example, the developer who renovated the Guaranty Building in Buffalo ended up filling in the central light well on what was originally a U-shaped block. Whatever the relative merits of that action, no such possibility exists for the Reliance Building because it is a simple block form, too small for a light well.
One of the great benefits of the restoration will be the replacement of the original cornice. The large plane hovering over the building effectively terminated the vertical sweep of the cantilevered bays. Since its removal, the building has taken on a simple, extruded look that tells us more about later 20th century aesthetics than it does about the classical three-part compositional scheme that characterized skyscraper design at the turn of the century. Replacing the cornice will enable one to appreciate more fully Atwood's original design.
A serious problem currently facing the project is that the City of Chicago has stopped work on the project leaving the building with open inspection and sampling holes on the exterior (see Fig.4) and steam heat lines in the building cut. The potential for freeze damage throughout the building is a serious concern. It is hoped that the financial difficulties which precipitated the work stoppage can be cleared up and that the building will be treated with the respect and care that it deserves.
The Reliance Building remains one of the most important skyscrapers in Chicago, despite being dwarfed by taller and larger buildings. It's pivotal role in both the aesthetic and technological development of the skyscraper makes it loom much larger on the skyline of Chicago than its diminutive scale would suggest.
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