# Buildings or Skyscrapers that underwent a Renovation or Reconstruction



## Jim856796 (Jun 1, 2006)

I have decided to start a thread about skyscrapers and buildings that have ever underwent a renovation and/or a reconstruction or were converted to another use. This isn't for buildings or skyscrapers which have been repaired after they were damaged by a major disaster, there's already a thread for that.


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## rossie1977 (Jul 17, 2007)

caesars palace early 1970s 



















late 1990s after a major renovation was carried out and a new tower built, all the old towers still stand but newly skinned


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## Jim856796 (Jun 1, 2006)

The BuroCenter Niebelungenplatz in Frankfurt was unpopular in its original design until it was reclad and renamed in the 1990s. Not sure what its original name was.

The building before the reconstruction:









The building after the reconstruction:


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## Jim856796 (Jun 1, 2006)

125 Old Broad Street (The London Stock Exchange Tower) used to look like this:









And now after an extensive reclad, it looks like this:


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## Jim856796 (Jun 1, 2006)

What, must I post in this renovation thread all by myself?! Okay, a number of tall buildings in Brussels, Belgium received a renovation or reconstruction. Take the Finance Tower for example. It used to be a golden skyscraper with a concrete core to its north. Now after an extensive renovation, it came out looking like it won the Emporis Skyscraper of the Year award.


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## Jim856796 (Jun 1, 2006)

If I post some more buildings in this thread, the others will come. Here are other buildings in Brussels that were reconstructed:

De Zuidertoren / Tour du Midi (150m)









Madou (120m)









Botanic Building (75m)









Astro Tower (107m)









Finance Tower (145m, 200m with antenna)









Atomium (102m)









TBR (proposed height extension from 80 m to 136 m)









One note: I think the old facade of the Madou Plaza and the Botanic Building look very similar.


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)

Hows this for reconstruction, origional facade of a convent school was retained and a new apartment block built behind (doesnt look as weird in the flesh)










the rear, and those warehouse apartments hae been reconstructed as well (they were shells)


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## soup or man (Nov 17, 2004)

In Los Angeles, the AT&T Center recently finished a reclad.

Before:









After:









In 1994, the Union Bank Tower in Los Angeles also had a modest reclad.

Before:









After:


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## Buffalonian4life (Jul 24, 2008)

In Buffalo, New York:


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## Jim856796 (Jun 1, 2006)

^^What is that building supposed to be?


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## Buffalonian4life (Jul 24, 2008)

Jim856796 said:


> ^^What is that building supposed to be?


Great thread!

The former Dulski Federal Building in downtown Buffalo, NY is receiving an entire new use and face. 

The new name, Avant, meaning moving forward in French, consists of a class A Embassy Suites Hotel, 2 million dollar condos (37 of them), Class A office space (already anchor tenant signed), and specialty restaurants.

The Avant has been under construction for about 2 years, and it will be open in a few short months.

www.avantbuffalo.com

under construction:


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## Inkdaub (Dec 28, 2006)

I love this one...










I am also glad the Transamerica in LA was redone. I always hated that building and thought it looked unfinished. The AT%T looks good, though.


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## dougfr69 (Jul 18, 2004)

Tour franklin reclad in Paris Montreuil (94 m).
Old clad:









New:









Tour Altaïs reclad in Paris Montreuil (88m)
Before









after reclad which is under way:









Tour Mozart reconstruction in Paris-Issy Les moulineaux:
Before, Tour EDF 80m destroyed









and replaced by Tour Mozard 97 m U/C.









Tour Gallieni reclad (78 m). Paris-Bagnolet
Before









after









A great number of renovation-reclad existed in the Business District Paris-La défense.

Tour First, former Tour AXA:
Before (159 m)









After Renovation in 2010 (225 m):









Tour Winterthur (119 m):
before









Aftre renovation in 1998:









Tour Europlaza:
Before, 122m:









After renovation in 1995, 135m:









Tour logica 117m:
before: on the right and background of this photograph.









After 2002:









Tour Opus 12, 95m:
before, Tower in the middle of the picture:









After 2002:









Tour Vectrane reclad, former Tour Anjou:
before








defense92.fr

After
















defense92.fr


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## Union.SLO (Dec 24, 2007)

Telekom building - Ljubljana, Slovenia

_Before:_








_After:_


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## ZZ-II (May 10, 2006)

Verizon Building NYC,

before:










after (to the left):


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## Rascian (Jul 27, 2006)

It's sad that nobody has respect for 1960' and 1970' architecture. Those towers needed only some cleaning and renovation, not a reclad...


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## ExWNY'er (Jul 21, 2005)

This is a very interesting thread. Here is an article from the San Francisco Chronicle just today that talks about a building that got re-skinned out here. 

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/artic.../DDVE16SE9D.DTL&hw=architecture&sn=003&sc=429


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## ThatDarnSacramentan (Oct 26, 2008)

Some reclads are good, but others end up making the building worse. I mean, am I the only person in the world who genuinely likes the original look of both Verizon Buildings in New York? I think replacing it all with nice pale blue glass is just ugly.


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## GrimFadango (Dec 14, 2008)

^^ I second that. All that glitters is not gold.


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## Jim856796 (Jun 1, 2006)

dougfr69 said:


> Tour Mozart reconstruction in Paris-Issy Les moulineaux:
> Before, Tour EDF 80m destroyed
> 
> 
> ...


This is a renovated/reconstructed buildings thread, not a highrise-buildings-demolished-to-make-way-for-taller-and-better-ones thread. The Mozart Tower shouldn't be in this thread.


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## Danielewicz (Feb 5, 2008)

Wrong way.It`s look nice today.


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## Jim856796 (Jun 1, 2006)

This building in San Francisco underwent numerous reconstructions and additions. It was originally built in the 1890s, then an addition was built after the Earthquake and Fire. In the 1960s, a new facade was added, and in 2007 the building was restored to its original appearance and extended to 24 floors.


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Danielewicz said:


> Wrong way.It`s look nice today.


Yes indeed. I like it like it is today. It's one of my favourite towers in Brussels.


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## WestSideJohn (Apr 20, 2005)

I know the Avant in Buffalo has already been posted. Here are a couple of transition shots from where I work.


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## Jim856796 (Jun 1, 2006)

The current facade of the Astro Tower is gold. Why can't the facade of the reconstructed tower be of the same colour as the current facade?


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## Jim856796 (Jun 1, 2006)

This is the 1095 Avenue of the Americas in New York City. It went from black glass to green in the late 2000s. It should have achieved LEED-certification also.


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## Ingenioren (Jan 18, 2008)

Postgirobygget, Oslo:

They did a complete inside-renovation - but only partly outside renovation, added a gap in the middle of the long facade, and added 4/6 floors on top.

Before:









After:


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## Jim856796 (Jun 1, 2006)

First Canadian Place is undergoing a reclad currently.


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## WestSideJohn (Apr 20, 2005)

I really like the First Canadian Place re-skin.


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## CrazyAboutCities (Feb 14, 2007)

Great thread!!! Some buildings look much better after renovations.


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## dfwcre8tive (Oct 18, 2007)

Renaissance Tower, Dallas
built in 1976, renovated in 1986


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## CrazyAboutCities (Feb 14, 2007)

^^ Interesting. Why renovate the building even it is only ten years after it got built?


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## Exethalion (Dec 23, 2008)

Muirhead Tower, Birmingham University, UK
went from this brutalist slab:









Into something possibly even worse :S


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## Jim856796 (Jun 1, 2006)

CrazyAboutCities said:


> ^^ Interesting. Why renovate the building even it is only ten years after it got built?


For decorative and enhancement purposes.


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Jim856796 said:


> The current facade of the Astro Tower is gold. Why can't the facade of the reconstructed tower be of the same colour as the current facade?


Because some stupid architects in Brussels think that it's old fashioned and ugly. That architect bureau wants to put every Brussels building into bleu glass cladding.... :bash:



Exethalion said:


> Muirhead Tower, Birmingham University, UK
> went from this brutalist slab:


I liked the brutalist design!


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## Jim856796 (Jun 1, 2006)

Benonie said:


> That architect bureau wants to put every Brussels building into bleu glass cladding.... :bash:


Blue is the colour of the future...


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Maybe they should keep some relicts of the near past in Brussels. Almost every old office tower is recladded with blue glass. Only some rare examples like Astro and WTC I & II remain intact.


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## Jim856796 (Jun 1, 2006)

The Hunghom Peninsula Towers, after being threatened with demolition soon after its completion in 2002, were reconstructed in 2008.


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## minneapolis-uptown (Jun 22, 2009)

The IVY tower in minneapolis was a burned out shell of a building before 2008 when it was renovated and expanded into a hotel-condo complex

before:









after:


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## Rocky031 (Feb 18, 2010)

Hotel Osijek (news color,design and repairs from holes made with bombs and bullets..)





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