In an ideal world, today’s video for Life In 360° would have gone up on the 4th of July, however since the video itself went up then that was obviously impossible.
Still, irrespective of it no longer being America’s ‘birthday’ we’ve got an intriguing slice of Americana today with Lady Liberty herself. To be clear, I am not talking about the one France gifted the US which is currently standing on Liberty Island. (I hear tell that it’s unlikely to be moving any time soon.) In this instance though we’re actually not concerned with New York, but rather New York state and the city of Buffalo.
In 1925 the Liberty Bank built a tower block for their business, at the time the largest office structure that could be seen in that part of the city. Nowadays it is the fifth tallest building in the whole of Buffalo. It, perhaps unsurprisingly, earned the name the ‘Liberty Building and it was decorated with three replicas of the Statue of Liberty. Two on the roof, and a third which was placed over one of the entranceways.
“What’s really stunning is that the classic-looking exterior encases an extremely modern infrastructure. Stepping inside is like transitioning between two periods of history.” Explains the building’s current owners, Main Place Liberty Group, referring to its Neoclassical architecture. “Your tour begins with a brilliantly refurbished lobby of bronze and marble. A security guard greets you – there’s always one on duty. As you venture further, you’ll notice attractive newly installed windows, and a modern convenience at every turn, from restaurants and coffee shops to an ATM. What you’ll be pleasantly unaware of is the perfect atmosphere created by a state-of-the-art energy system.”
While the interior has certainly changed over the years, including a big technological upgrade in 1999, the exterior hasn’t much. However, in 2018 only the two statues on the roof remain and the eastern one recently received some much-needed tender loving care.
The video, provided by Buffalo News, takes us 24 stories up to the eastern statue where workers James Carpino and Matt Strojny work away to repair the copper.
via Mint VR