[Martin Mtl]

Originally Posted by vid

The original one, however, was experiencing severe corrosion behind the concrete panels to the point that they were going to start falling off. It was also supposed to be built with the ability to support one or two extra floors being added on top over time, but in reality it wasn't. The company that was hired to build it in 1964 cut too many corners, and the whole renovation project ended up costing about double what they intended because they had to do more structural work than anticipated.

The previous Fort William city hall (seen here) had a similar flaw. It was built with bricks that weren't fired properly, and within 40 years of completion, the exterior of the building was collapsing. The tower was removed in the early 1940s because it couldn't support its own weight. There are a few buildings still standing built with the same kind of bricks, and you can tell because the brick is mostly gone but the mortar is still there.

But I agree, the original design was way better. They should have taken the same route Hamilton did with their city hall, but didn't.

I don't know for sure, but I do believe the granite panels from the ground floor of the original building were repurposed inside the building somewhere. The rest of the facade was just concrete blocks, there was no real value to them other than their shape.

But their shape = architectural gesture. They should have been restored as such. It was a nice modern building.