Well, there's straight-reclad refurbishment, and then there's "extreme makeover" type refurbishment. Remember that in Chicago, they only reclad Big Stan--given the date, they could well have been tempted to go further by PoMo pippydoodaddling it instead; and maybe we're better off that they didn't, whatever the quality of the existing architecture.
If FCP is indeed in need of a re-clad, I don't see why its design which is far from heritage calibre cannot be re-addressed. While I appreciate Adma seeing the quality in everything (the narration is beyond annoying though) including a nicely formed piece of dog shit on a sidewalk - it is still dog shit
Ah, but who's to say FCP *isn't* "of heritage calibre"? Maybe not in the frozen-in-amber (or rather, frozen-in-marble) sense; but certainly, as a prominent and familiar urban landmark, a tallest-building-in-the-commonwealth, as part of a noted international architect's oeuvre, etc. And--yes--as something *not* as architecturally execrable as its detractors claim. (Though I'm more than willing to reality-check those who want to claim it as some kind of immaculate design masterpiece as well; that is, by reminding them of Edward Durell Stone's bad-rep-for-good-reasons, etc.)
Look at it this way; we can take the WTC as a comparison point, particularly given the structural similarities. Now, it may be argued that the Twin Towers were even *more* reviled on architectural and urbanistic grounds (and merited it, too). Yet in the end, even before 9/11, they inspired a sort of affection, to the point where leaving well enough alone would, in my estimation, have been preferrable to a supposedly "sin-atoning" extreme makeover. In a certain sense, it was even loved for being hated. (However, it isn't to the point where I'd have declared common cause with rebuild-the-Twins pinheads, either.)
So yes, FCP's not a whoop-de-doo masterpiece. But I'd sooner advocate some form of architectural status quo than to let overidealistic Sim City kiddies with Photoshop make well-meaning yet cheesy decisions on its future appearance.
Oh, and about the "heritage calibre" business; it needn't preclude recladding--besides, maybe it's less about this simplistic, oft-abused word "heritage" than about general urban decorum...
