It’s the kind of façade mangling that could only happen to a fifties-mod office building: A reader sends pics showing damage to the front of the 1959-vintage Search Homeless Services headquarters at 2505 Fannin St. just north of McGowen in Midtown in the aftermath of last month’s vehicle-meets-building drive-up accident. The collision twisted one of the embedded steel columns along the sidewalk into a nonprofit-organization-logo-worthy S shape. Where’d the extra steel come from to allow that to happen? Look up, and you’ll see:
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The accident appears to have pulled the column down through the hollow blocks that make up the upper story façade. Below the top-story balcony (visible at the top of the above photo) , it appears the column drop knocked a few of the blocks loose and off the building.
The change in column color at street level marks where the change from embedded to freestanding column used to be:
- About Search [Search Homeless Services]
Photos: David Hollas
Edward Durell Stone knockoff, almost knocked down. These buildings really do not age well.
Is it me or is there suddenly a large increase of people driving their cars over curbs and crashing into houses and stores? It seems one happens every other night on average. I don’t remember this sh%! happening 10-20 years ago. On another note, f#$% humanity.
I kind of like the new “decorative” ironwork …. it adds interest to an otherwise forgettable building.
I love physics
5 years ago I was in my parked car and rear-ended by my 85yo elderly neighbor. He kept his foot on the gas and pushed my car through fencing and landscaping and into the pool at our condos. Thank goodness he had front wheel drive and lost traction when he went over the ledge or his car would have been on top of mine. It was very scary!
BTW – he is still driving at 90. His doctor was kind enough to get him handicap plates since he has problems walking. Family should take the keys away!!!!!
Ooh scary story DiTexas.
But what IS up with the facade not being attached to that vertical beam? Was it only glued in place?
F*ck it, now it’s art.
How exactly do you go about fixing something like that?
@movocelot: It was probably bolted in from the side, but the sudden force probably just sheared the bolts right off.