another look at the machine shop.

[duccio]

In comments on my last entry, I described this building as being based on a Roman aqueduct design motif. Here is a receeding look at the second tier of arches. The building is quite long and very large. In some of the window bays between the pilasters, there are long brick arches spanning the spaces between the lower and upper windows (you can see a portion of one of these in the lower left corner) - this is similar to the masonry work I observed walking around the Pantheon in Rome. Those imperial structures were built to last. I guess the builders of this structure had similar notions of greatness.




Here is a composite photo of the western half of the north wall of the building showing the aqueduct design.

And here, if anyone is interested, are two sites with several more pictures, along with some basic historical info about the building.
http://pier70sf.org/phototour/phototour113ext.html
http://pier70sf.org/phototour/phototour113interior.html