Slipcover (architecture)

In architecture, a slipcover is a modification of an older building facing by adding a new ornamental layer.

The slipcover was a popular treatment in the United States after World War II, as early twentieth-century building styles had fallen out of fashion.

"Slipcovered buildings are those structures whose facade have been sheathed in a newer material which partially or completely masks the original".

[5] Shopkeepers across the US were ready to join the movement by the middle of the 1930s thanks to the combination of architectural-design competitions and clever architectural promotions.

[5] As modernist buildings become historic, slipcovered structures create challenges for the preservation community in terms of evaluating and treating them.

There has been rapid acceptance of modern architecture in this sector, as this could be the storefronts or movie theatres that utilise slipcovers on many streets around the world.

[5] Additionally, trade publications from retailers and sign companies with a modernisation message were widely distributed.

Facades on Main Streets becoming 'angular three-dimensional sculptures and businesses erecting stand-alone pylon signs'.

Beneath the prefabricated metal panels or other materials that may have been used to construct a slipcover for a building, there is a concealed façade, which may be one of cultural or historical significance.

[5] Due to the sheer size of larger commercial structures, most of which were occupied by offices and relying on natural light and ventilation, it was not practical or common to cover windows like they sometimes do in smaller buildings.

[5] Popular materials such as plaster and marble caused extensive damage to the original facade beneath their installation.

[3] Older buildings often had permanent exterior walls made of cast iron, brick, stone, and terracotta.