Good: Topping It Off Right

Some people put thought and effort into putting the right roof on a building. Here are some examples [note: I took all these pictures sitting at my desk. This item brought to you literally from my point of view]:

This one has a sail-like triangle enclosure on top, which, combined with the stripy curves on the walls below, has a subtle nautical effect:

By the way, that dark thing on the flagpole is a PERSON. I used binoculars, and it looked like he was either cleaning or painting the pole. What an awful job. Made me dizzy to look at him. That building is about 50 stories tall.

Here’s another pretty chapeau. Stylish, goes with the building, keeps the neighbors from having to look at cooling towers and whatnot:

And here, in another style, is another appropriate roof. The barrel shape is reflected in the roof of the podium level below, which you can’t see in this picture:

This last pretty roof is on the building I used to work in, soon, I’m sure, to be renamed something other than Washington Mutual Tower. That pyramid shape doesn’t just hide the mechanical equipment; there is also a basketball court in there. Also, behind those arches are terraces you can walk out on if you’re nice to the right people, and the view is spectacular:

Of course, most commercial building people don’t bother with such niceties as roofs which do much besides keep the rain out, so we all have to look at atrocities like this:

I don’t understand it. Spending millions of dollars to build nice walls, then just tarring the roof and throwing a bunch of junk on it? Like no one is going to see it? It would be like building a house with a really fancy front, with nice windows and rockwork, then using cheap windows and vinyl siding on the sides and back, because no one’s going to look at that (besides you, and your neighbors, and anyone you invite over for a barbeque, and the meter reader, and people who drive by…). Oh, wait. Plenty of people see no problem with that.

Here’s another analogy: it’s like making yourself a fancy dress for some nice event, but then, because zippers cost extra and are a pain to sew in, just leaving the back hospital-gown style.