You all probably saw the picture I posted up here a few weeks ago of the Reynolds Metals building here (now occupied by Phillip Morris) The building has these vertical louvers on the outside that resemble vertical blinds. The louvers change their angle depending on the time of day, to block the sunlight from whatever particular postition it is coming in from. It also takes into account seasons too! The remarkable thing about this system is that it was created back in 1959 and it was all done without microprocessors, obviously. I remember when I worked at Reynolds metals in buildings & grounds back about 10 years ago, the system was fully operational in it's original 1959 setup. Today, since Phillip Morris renovated the building, I don't know if it's still using it's mechanical controller, but the slats still move to the time of day just like they used to!
It's rather neat going by the building at different times of the day, and seeing the louvers change. The side that faces the sun is brushed alumnium, and the other side is blue. The building's glass itself is tinted, so the building literally changes color at different times of the day...shiny alumnium in the morning, dark black in the middle of the day, and blue in the evening! It also changes depending on which SIDE of the building you are viewing, since the sun may be on one side for part the day, and the other side for another!
I was wondering if this is a system that is unique to this building, or if the system was used by any other buildings. It's sort of a mid-century marvel, and I have seen many mid-century modern designs that incorporate vertical louvers that are similar, but of course, seeing still pictures of the buidings don't indicate if they move or not. I imagine in locations where modern architecture is more prevalent, these might be incoprorated. I wish when I worked there I would have taken note of the manufacturer of the controller, as many times as I walked by it, I should have. I just find this system totally fascinating. Who would have thought...a building that changes it's appearance depending on the time of day, and the season!
It's rather neat going by the building at different times of the day, and seeing the louvers change. The side that faces the sun is brushed alumnium, and the other side is blue. The building's glass itself is tinted, so the building literally changes color at different times of the day...shiny alumnium in the morning, dark black in the middle of the day, and blue in the evening! It also changes depending on which SIDE of the building you are viewing, since the sun may be on one side for part the day, and the other side for another!
I was wondering if this is a system that is unique to this building, or if the system was used by any other buildings. It's sort of a mid-century marvel, and I have seen many mid-century modern designs that incorporate vertical louvers that are similar, but of course, seeing still pictures of the buidings don't indicate if they move or not. I imagine in locations where modern architecture is more prevalent, these might be incoprorated. I wish when I worked there I would have taken note of the manufacturer of the controller, as many times as I walked by it, I should have. I just find this system totally fascinating. Who would have thought...a building that changes it's appearance depending on the time of day, and the season!
