CLADDING THE MID-CENTURY MODERN: THIN STONE VENEER-FACED PRECAST CONCRETE Sarah Sojung Yoon Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science in Historic Preservation Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation Columbia University May 2016 Advisor Dr. Theodore Prudon Adjunct Professor at Columbia University Principal, Prudon & Partners Reader Sidney Freedman Director, Architectural Precast Concrete Services Precast/ Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) Reader Kimball J. Beasley Senior Principal, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE) ABSTRACT Cladding the Mid-Century Modern: Thin Stone Veneer-Faced Precast Concrete Sarah Sojung Yoon Dr. Theodore Prudon, Advisor With significant advancements in building technology at the turn of the twentieth century, new building materials and innovative systems changed the conventions of construction and design. New materials were introduced and old materials continued to be transformed for new uses. With growing demand after WWII forcing further modernization and standardization and greater experimentation; adequate research and testing was not always pursued. Focusing on this specific composite cladding material consisting of thin stone veneer-faced precast concrete – the official name given at the time – this research aims to identify what drove the design and how did the initial design change over time. Design decisions and changes are evident from and identified by closely studying the industry and trade literature in the form of articles, handbooks/manuals, and guide specifications. For this cladding material, there are two major industries that came together: the precast concrete industry and the stone industry. Literature from both industries provide a comprehensive understanding of their exchange and collaboration. From the information in the trade literature, case studies using early forms of thin stone veneer-faced precast concrete are identified, and the performance of the material over time is discussed. This cladding material seems to appear on the US market generally in the 1960s and 1970s. Three fundamental questions were asked: 1) What were the designs and how did they evolve over time; 2) what kind of issues or failures came about; and 3) what measures were taken to address them; 4) what changes were made to mitigate future failures? Technical design decisions are dependent on physical performance of the individual materials and the interaction between the two. Other conditions such as economy, client demand, and architectural trends influence those decisions. As the architecture from this era now enters into the realm of preservation, it is important to understand and assess the historical and technical context and background of this composite material and system in order to allow for informed choices to be made regarding preservation strategies. 1 Acknowledgements First, I would like to thank my 엄마 and 아버지 for their love, prayers and continuous support. Your words of encouragement gave me the motivation to get through this process. I love you both so much. 소명 thank you for always checking in on me and making sure I was okay. You are the best brother! I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Theodore Prudon, for his patience in guiding me through this thesis. Without your insight and kind words, I would have lost the confidence to continue. And thank you to both of my wonderful readers, Sidney Freedman and Kimball Beasley. Your comments and genuine interest in my thesis topic helped me to stay focused and interested. I would also like to thank the following individuals for helping me obtain information for this research: Norman Weiss, Jim Lewis, Jamiel Jones, Chris Galde, Doug Flory, Travis Fox, Laura Bedolla, and Julie Cohen. Lastly, I have to thank my lab buddies and friends that kept me going with good food, fresh coffee, and stuffed animals. I literally would not have functioned without you guys! 2 List of Figures Note: All photographs taken by the author unless otherwise noted. CHAPTER 1 Figure 1.1 Finlandia Hall – Helsinki, Finland (Source iStock / Nikolaev) https://inzumi.com/en/travel/point-of-interest/d_id/Helsinki/c_id/Sightseeing/p_id/Finlandiatalo- (Finlandia-House) Figure 1.2 Aon Center – Chicago, IL (2015) Figure 1.3 Granite Cladding – Chicago, IL (2015) CHAPTER 2 Figure 2.1 Gang-saws – Georgia Marble Quarries (Source The Story of Georgia Marble p. 6) http://quarriesandbeyond.org/states/ga/ga-photos_2a.html Figure 2.2 Diamond Wire Cutting – Stony Creek Quarry, Branford, CT (2016) Figure 2.3 Notre-Dame de Rancy – Le Raincy, France (Auguste Perret) https://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/france/raincy/perret.html CHAPTER 3 Figure 3.1 Joslyn Art Museum – Omaha NE (Sir Norman Foster and Partners) http://www.cityprofile.com/nebraska/photos/11663-omaha-joslyn-art-museum-2.html Figure 3.2 Airline Pilots Building – Washington D.C. (Vlastimil Koubek) http://leaseofficespace.net/offices-for-rent/DC/Washington/4342 Figure 3.3 Typical Anchor for Marble Veneer (Source PCI DN-7) Figure 3.4 Typical Anchor for Granite Veneer (Source PCI DN-7) Figure 3.5 Typical Cross Anchor Dowels for Stone Veneer (Source PCI DN-7) Figure 3.6 Typical Anchors for Limestone Veneer (Source PCI DN-7) Figure 3.7 Gate Precast Demonstration CHAPTER 4 Figure 4.1 Empire State Plaza during Construction (Source NYS Library) Figure 4.2 Historic view of New York State Capitol before Construction (Source Times Union Archives) http://www.timesunion.com/518life/article/Reassessing-the-legacy-of-the-Empire-State-Plaza- 6280852.php#photo-8028527 3 Figure 4.3 CEC – Typical Wall Section, 1966 (Source NYS Library) Figure 4.4 CEC – Section of Marble Fin, 1966 (Source NYS Library) Figure 4.5 CEC – Section of Marble Fin, 1968 (Avery Library) Figure 4.6 CEC – Bolting of Edge Panels Figure 4.7 CEC – Bolting of Flat Panels Figure 4.8 Juilliard School, 1970 (Source Pietro Belluschi: Buildings and Plans 1932-1973 p.96) Figure 4.9 Juilliard School after New Design (Source Juilliard.edu) http://www.juilliard.edu/about/newsroom/2013-14/juilliard-announces-creation-kovner- fellowship-program-scholarship-endowment Figure 4.10 Juilliard – Travertine Panels Figure 4.11 Juilliard – Travertine Spall Figure 4.12 Former Life of Georgia Tower – Atlanta, GA Figure 4.13 Former Life of Georgia Tower – Panel Deterioration and Repairs Figure 4.14 Former Life of Georgia Tower – Flexural Cracking Figure 4.15 Former Life of Georgia Tower – Panel Deterioration and Repairs CHAPTER 5 Figure 5.1 Former Georgia Archives Building – Atlanta, GA Figure 5.2 Architect’s Sketch, 1962 (Source The American Archivist) Figure 5.3 Former Georgia Archives Building – Exterior Marble with Pre-Cast Detail (Source Georgia Building Authority) Figure 5.4 Interior – Memorial Hall Figure 5.5 Exterior Detail – Bolted Panels Figure 5.6 Exterior Deterioration – Soiling Figure 5.7 Exterior Deterioration – Metal Brackets Figure 5.8 Exterior Deterioration – Horizontal Cracking Figure 5.9 Exterior Deterioration – Moisture in Foundation Figure 5.10 Exterior Deterioration – Missing Marble Fin and Bolting Repairs Figure 5.11 Fountain Joint Deterioration Figure 5.12 Exterior Deterioration – Delamination of Marble from Concrete Figure 5.13 Exterior Deterioration – Exposed Façade Systems Figure 5.14 Bowing Marble Panel on Column 4 Table of Contents ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................ 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................... 2 LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................................ 3 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 8 1.1 Definition of the Problem .................................................................................................... 8 1.2 Scope of the Research ........................................................................................................ 10 1.3 Literature Review .............................................................................................................. 11 1.4 Research Question / Methodology .................................................................................... 20 CHAPTER 2. MID-CENTURY MODERN ARCHITECTURE .................................................... 21 2.1 Influence of the Modernists ............................................................................................... 21 2.2 Industrialization of Industry .............................................................................................. 24 2.3 Economics of Building ....................................................................................................... 28 2.4 Preservation Discourse ..................................................................................................... 30 CHAPTER 3. TECHNICAL LITERATURE & DESIGN STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS .... 33 3.1 Prestressed/Precast Concrete Industry (PCI) ................................................................... 36 3.2 Marble Stone Industry (MIA) ............................................................................................ 52 3.3 Evolution of Thin Stone Veneer-Faced Precast Cladding................................................. 61 3.4 Gate Precast Site Visit ......................................................................................................