I’m often struck by buildings with safety measures that have clearly been added on later, e.g., railings, fences, etc. Like this view from a proposed observation deck on the Chrysler building: https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19989364/Screen_Shot_2020_05_20_at_11.07.25_AM.png (from https://ny.curbed.com/2020/5/20/21264740/chrysler-building-new-observation-deck)
Even the original railing itself looks like it was an afterthought. Why would the original designer think that a knee-height wall was a sufficient safety measure for a terrace?
In: 15
In a case like the one you linked, the original pipe railing was never meant for tourists. It was meant for workers that are up there for a specific job. Fixing an HVAC system, changing light bulbs or other maintenance. So, theoretically, no one is up there screwing around. They’re up there for a specific job, they are trained on the risks, they may even be tied off so they fall protection.
In the ‘proposed’ picture, it’s meant for anyone that walks in off the street to go up there with no danger of falling because the only way to get near the edge is to climb a vertical glass wall.
The only people walking in off the street and making it off the edge of the building are doing it on purpose and tend to be difficult to stop regardless of safety measures in place (think: BASE Jumpers).
Also, keep in mind, the Chrysler building was built 90 years ago. Even if those pipe railings were an after thought, they didn’t think about safety 90 or 70 or even 30 years ago like we do today. They were meant more to let you know your close to the edge rather than to prevent you from falling.
Having said that, I to am also bothered by knee high safety measures like this. You tend to see it when a large, flat roof building is getting work done and the put a string with flags on it around the edge. I understand the reasoning, but if it was waist high, at least you wouldn’t trip over it if you walked backwards towards it (and, protip: don’t walk backwards on a roof).
Latest Answers