The building is unusual, in that the pipes, ductworks, etc. are all exposed. I wonder if this has lead to any problems-does the building leak excessively? I also wonder if this mode of construction has been emulated-I haven’t seen any buildings like this.
The Lloyds of London insurance building similarly has most of the utility ducts on the outside.
Oh yes. There’s a reason these things go on the inside of the building. There is a constant fight against corrosion at the Centre Pompidou. The museum was closed for about two years fifteen years ago in no small part for that type of maintenance.
Having the utility works exposed is fairly common, and works out well functionally. It’s easier to spot leaks & repaif them when they are small, it’s much easier to add or make changes as needed.
But this is for items exposed inside the building (openly visible rather than hidden inside the walls. Exposed outside the building seems a very poor idea – all the problems RadicalPi mentioned. And others – here in Minnesota we would never consider that – how would you keep the plumbing from freezing in the winter. People have problems each winter when underground pipes that are buried less than 6 feet (2 meters) can freeze during cold snaps.
but it’s honest ! and functional !
If the utility conduits are all corroding and falling apart then it’s not very functional.
Not coincidentally, Richard Rogers had a hand in both that one and Pompidou.
Starchitecture (and I’m speaking as a dribbling-on-shoes fan of much of it) can at times be a bit like sheep. Sexy in principle (…don’t look at me like that), somewhat dysfunctional in practice, and better looking from a distance than close up.
That is not the concern of the technician-architect. Such are the the province of janitors and electricians.
Buildings are not for living in.
Tom Wolfe wrote a whole book lampooning the whole profession of architecture, where theory is more important than practicality and usefullness…
On the other hand my view is that much of the interest in historic preservation is because modern buildings are so ugly/boring compared to older ones.
So the answer seems to be yes as this is part of the reason for the 5 year closure.