Understanding historical precedents is important for understanding the design process. The Hat Factory was designed by Erich Mendelsohn in the 1920’s. The factory was designed before modern HVAC systems were invented. Due to this there needed to be elements of the design that would aide in the ventilation of the factory since hat construction used many harsh dyes. The tall “hat” on the front of the building forced the vapors up into a second area away from workers and allowed it to naturally vent out through the top windows.

The details of the Hat factory show the amount of time that was put into the creation of a factory. Multiple brick layouts add to the texture of the façade preventing the large flat sections from blending together. The design details culminate in the corner fin detail. The bricks stack up and out creating a corner detail adding to the sculpted nature of the factory.