Investigators found that similar failures had occurred with this same window type, by this same window manufacturer, in other, less conspicuous buildings. All 10,344 of the Hancock's double-pane windows were replaced with single sheets of tempered glass. Part of the deal was that everyone agreed to keep the secret. Many are now tabletops, picture windows or greenhouses. As for the plywood, much of it went to the Boston Redevelopment Authority, where it was used to board up abandoned buildings.
Life goes on.
We're near the end now. Faced with such a multiplicity of problems, the architect, Harry Cobb, decided he needed some ultimate reassurance that his building was safe. Thurlimann's discovery is the most astonishing of all these events. He announced that, according to his calculations, under certain rare but entirely possible wind conditions, the Hancock might fall over. Most amazing of all, it would fall on its narrow edge.