The Architecture Behind a Brave Racoon's Viral Skyscraper Climb
This article was originally published by Metropolis Magazine as "SOM Explains Exactly How a Raccoon Scaled Its St. Paul Skyscraper."
© Evan Frost/<a href='https://www.mprnews.org/'>MPR News</a>
This article was originally published by Metropolis Magazine as "SOM Explains Exactly How a Raccoon Scaled Its St. Paul Skyscraper."After completing Town Square, a mixed-use, double-tower complex in the heart of St. Paul, Minnesota in 1980, the late architect Donald Smith of SOM told Architectural Record magazine, ?We must reorient our attention to the center [of] cities to save them.?Smith?s words were prophetic, it turns out, but not in the way he may have expected.Last month, Town Square?now known as UBS Plaza?captured the attention of the globe as a scraggly, wayward raccoon climbed up its southern tower?s 25 stories.The critter quickly became an Internet sensation as thousands rallied behind its precipitous ascent. James Gunn, the director of Marvel?s Guardians of the Galaxy (which features a genetically-modified raccoon superhero), even tweeted, ?I?ll donate a thousand bucks to the non political charity of choice to anyone who saves this raccoon. I can?t handle this.?Needless to say, after 20 suspenseful hours, the raccoon made it to the high-rise?s summit and was safely released. Here it is, #MPRRaccoon?s valiant climb to the top of the UBS Center in Downtown St. Paul, this morning. @KARE11 @MPRnews pic.twitter.com/o...
© Evan Frost/<a href='https://www.mprnews.org/'>MPR News</a>
This article was originally published by Metropolis Magazine as "SOM Explains Exactly How a Raccoon Scaled Its St. Paul Skyscraper."After completing Town Square, a mixed-use, double-tower complex in the heart of St. Paul, Minnesota in 1980, the late architect Donald Smith of SOM told Architectural Record magazine, ?We must reorient our attention to the center [of] cities to save them.?Smith?s words were prophetic, it turns out, but not in the way he may have expected.Last month, Town Square?now known as UBS Plaza?captured the attention of the globe as a scraggly, wayward raccoon climbed up its southern tower?s 25 stories.The critter quickly became an Internet sensation as thousands rallied behind its precipitous ascent. James Gunn, the director of Marvel?s Guardians of the Galaxy (which features a genetically-modified raccoon superhero), even tweeted, ?I?ll donate a thousand bucks to the non political charity of choice to anyone who saves this raccoon. I can?t handle this.?Needless to say, after 20 suspenseful hours, the raccoon made it to the high-rise?s summit and was safely released. Here it is, #MPRRaccoon?s valiant climb to the top of the UBS Center in Downtown St. Paul, this morning. @KARE11 @MPRnews pic.twitter.com/o...
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