This news marks the beginning of a virtual topping-out celebration, as we not only have the walls built, but the building also has its roof. The custom of placing a bouquet of flowers at the apex of the roof followed by a celebration is a tradition for builders and the owner alike, which usually takes place once the supporting structure of the building is completed. Dating back to the Middle Ages, the custom also holds legal significance, symbolizing a sort of certificate of execution for the work. Known since the 13th century, the tradition celebrates both the builders and the owner. It consists of placing a branch or a bouquet of flowers at the highest point of the building and delivering a speech, while offering the opportunity to show friends and relatives the progress of the construction works.
As you can see from the pictures, work is already underway. We are waiting for the windows to arrive, and right now the insulation materials are being delivered to the site. Soon, the building will have windows and insulation.
We can also now see elements of the industrial architectural style in the interiors, namely the exposed concrete surfaces. We didn't want to overdo it. The designer planned the interior columns and the ceiling with fair-faced concrete surfaces. Together with the contractor, we saw the result when the shuttering—formwork, as it is called here—was removed from the columns and ceiling. We like it. Although we know that perceptions of exposed concrete are mixed, there is a saying that "There is no accounting for taste." In other words, taste is a personal matter, not a subject for debate. But if we add another perspective, even the critics might see them differently.
The columns look like wooden beams preserved by seawater, brought from a centuries-old seaport. The word port (harbor) also means port, an important term in our line of work. In computer networks, a port is a communication endpoint in an operating system. The word port refers both to tangible elements (hardware) itself and to logical constructs (software) that identify a specific process or type of network service.
Past, present, and future... everything merges together in our building. Even in the modern-looking exposed concrete surfaces, if you stop and think about it for a moment.
