Photo Corners headlinesarchivemikepasini.com
A S C R A P B O O K O F S O L U T I O N S F O R T H E P H O T O G R A P H E R
Enhancing the enjoyment of taking pictures with news that matters, features that entertain and images that delight. Published frequently.
Reinforced Masonry
16 September 2024
Once upon a time, the cornerstone of a building was important. It was the first stone laid down in a building made otherwise of brick and therefore determined how true each row of masonry would be as the edifice arose.
But with modern construction methods, it became merely ceremonial along various inscriptions were still chiseled into it. It was placed up at eye level to make it more prominent. And there were still public ceremonies involved too.
Some people, once upon a time, even went so far as to include time capsules in a cornerstone.
All of which is just to say how treasured a thing a cornerstone might be to any particular building. It was its birth certificate, social security card, drivers license, everything but mailing address (which was otherwise obvious).
But masonry buildings in earthquake country are hazards. They crumble in a rumble. They collapse. They kill people.
So we reinforce them.
But not always artfully, as we show above. In that image, the cornerstone for the long gone Mount Zion Hospital (now known as UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion) has been unceremoniously retrofitted with an exoskeleton of iron that bolts right into the cornerstone.
It did bring tears to our eyes as we imagined the stone carver turning over in his grave as his work was obscured by some pedestrian iron beams that were themselves already rusting.
Masonry reinforced, yes. But art sublimated by engineering, too.