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Though the pre-construction advertisements promised this would be a "distinctive" build-
ing, it is not. At least on the outside. It is very reminiscent of a dozen other Near North Side
apartment blocks with its beige shaft rising from a base, which contains a mix of retail, and a
parking garage topped with a sun deck.
Though the building promotes itself as a "boutique" apartment block that usually implies
high style and low profile. Unfortunately, this building drew some unwanted attention early on.
It is named for Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, the late Cardinal of the Archdiocese of Chicago. He
died of cancer several years before this building was erected. At first, hackles were raised be-
cause it was thought the developer did not ask the diocese for permission to use Bardardin’s
name. And the building’s proximity to Holy Name Cathedral only drew more attention to the
commercialization of a man who won the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
That said it would be incorrect to argue that the Catholic Church doesn’t capitalize on
deceased religious leaders. But it later turned out that the developer, a devoted Catholic,
did consult someone in the diocese, and that person got approval from the late Cardinal’s
sister, forcing the diocese to back down from its previous posture.
WORLD TRADE CENTER
The World Trade Center is a collection of buildings in lower Manhattan. Towers number
one and two (the "Twin Towers") were considered the tallest in the world by some people. It
depends on how you define "tallest." Including the antenna, tower number one was 521 meters
tall. However, including the antenna may also bring building-less antennae and towers into the
running, which really mucks things up. The center was constructed on the site of the old Hud-
son and Manhattan rail terminal. The original plan called for a single 150-storey tower, but this
design was abandoned as impractical.
The twin towers were unusual in that the outer cladding of the building actually carried the
load for the structure. Each floor was suspended from the external walls, rather than the other
way around, which is common in most skyscrapers where internal pillars provide the strength,
and the walls merely keep the wind out. While intended to provide strength while maximizing
office space, this actually proved to be a lifesaving innovation.
When each tower was hit by hijacked jumbo jets in 2001 the planes punched holes in
the side and did extensive damage inside. But the buildings stayed standing for some time.
It was actually the heat from the fire that caused the buildings to collapse. The jets were
fully loaded with fuel for transcontinental flight, providing a massive amount of fuel to
feed the fire. When the heat inside exceeded 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit the steel holding the
floors to the walls weakened, causing each floor to collapse onto the one below. The result
was the buildings imploded upon them, rather than fell over knocking over countless other
buildings in a literal domino effect.
