This building, which some people might refer to as bland, drab, utilitarian, and boring, is one of the most revolutionary and important works of architecture ever. It is the Pacific Coast Borax Factory, designed by Ernest Ransome, and it is one of the first reinforced concrete structures ever built. Its orthogonal framing describes nearly all of modern architecture.
No one person invented concrete, and even if Ransome had not pioneered the use of twisted steel rods as a tensile agent, the use of reinforcing would have become inevitable. A good designer and a good businessman can help accelerate a social and technical revolution, so Ransome deserves to be recognized.
For more on this subject, read A Concrete Atlantis by Reyner Banham.
towers of ilium apologizes for the infrequent blogging. I attribute the lapse to the lack of anything to discuss about architecture. The internet seems to have run its course.
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