my building (but not my office) over look the Tweed courthouse (the renovations have had almost as many cost overruns as the original construction!) and it does not have a sky light.. but it has an interesting roof, with many windows in the gables-- (the gables are purely part of the roof, and don't relate to the building shape, they are hard to see from the street, but very evident from the 23 rd floor. most of the roof is standing/seam metal--the original was copper, i recall, but now its some white metal, galvanized steel? aluminum? i don't know..

the NY customs house (now part of the Smithsonian, one of 3 smithsonian building not in DC,) does have a stained glass sky light, above it, it has a peaked glass roof, (think of a greenhouse) the second roof protects the stained glass from water, but still lets in sunlight.

the smithsonian was responsible for renovating the customs house, and it now houses the Musuem of the American Indian collection. (did i mention i am a museum fan?)

it, too, is a beautiful building. Jazzo, you'd love NY!-- a hop, skip and jump from the Tweed court house is the Woolworth building.. its been all spiffed up too, and now days, looks like a skyscaper again, and is a dominant building in the downtown skyline.


my other obsession