20 September 2005

Magic Chef Bldg. -- west elevation


West elevation with building services.
Hedrich-Blessing, photograph.

The West face of the building is largely solid and mute. The entire West side of the building, wrapped in brick masonry serves as the service core of the building.

At the lower left where a column is visible, the loading dock is located. The rectangular stack of glass block openings on the left side mark the elevator lobby at each floor. The five vertical slots roughly in the center of the building are for ventilation. The horizontal lines of glass blocks toward the right allow natural light to penetrate the Men's and Women's restrooms. Above and below these horizontal lines are horizontal louvers for fresh and exhaust air. The opening in the bottom of this portion of the wall is the entry from the parking area which leads directly into the lobby.

To the far right is an exit stair pulled out from the building (with door at bottom). Where the vertical stair meets the primary mass of the buidlling, natural ventilation is again provided for.

Photograph courtesy of the Harris Armstrong Archives, Special Collections, Washington University in Saint Louis.

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