What do the Statue of Liberty and Palace Place have in common?
The answer is in the skin.
Like most skyscrapers today and the great Statue itself, Palace Place had been built with curtain walls as part of its unrivalled construction.
While used in virtually all major skyscrapers around the world, curtain wall construction is a very rare method of construction for condominiums in Toronto due to its cost. Even the older Palace Pier, which looks like the newer Palace Place, does not have curtain wall construction. Instead, like most Toronto condos, Palace Pier relies on inferior window wall construction.
A curtain wall system is installed in front of the concrete floor slab using anchors, whereas in a window wall system the walls span the slab heights and install between the slabs. A curtain wall is self-supporting unlike a window wall that uses the concrete slabs for structural support.
Window walls are the common solution to new condominium construction because they are more cost effective, but have a much shorter lifespan.
Curtain wall construction was pioneered in part during the construction of the Statue of Liberty.
The Statue of Liberty, by sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, had been one of the earliest examples of curtain wall construction thanks to Gustave Eiffel, a prominent French architect and structural engineer, whose interior structural design for the statue had called for this innovative, structurally sound method.
This curtain wall method meant that the exterior of the structure was not load bearing. Instead, it was supported by an interior framework. Because of this then modern approach, the Statue of Liberty’s internal structural skeletal system had provided robust support for its 62,000 lbs of copper skin, a testament to its 138-year longevity.
A curtain wall system is designed to stand the test of time. It costs significantly more, but is also far more robust, providing excellent structural integrity. This type of system is highly resistant to moisture, wind, heat, and earthquakes.
From its caisson foundation that garnered headlines from around the world to its unique curtain wall enclosure, the construction of Palace Place bears no equal.
For more about Palace Place, order Luke Dalinda’s book.
Further reading:
Palace Place: Built to a Higher Standard
How would Palace Place fare in an Earthquake? How would your condo?
New Construction Fails to Deliver, Even in New York City – Why Palace Place is the only Place to be!
Palace Place offers unrivaled construction!
MUST WATCH: CBC Documentary – The Condo Game!
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Palace Place, 1 Palace Pier Court, and Palace Pier, 2045 Lake Shore Boulevard West, in Humber Bay Shores.
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View all current and past Palace Place listings for sale here.
E: LDALINDA@DALINDA.NET • TEL: 416-725-7170
Luke Dalinda, Realtor. Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage.
View all current and past Palace Place listings for sale here.