The problem with cast stone is that it can be fairly monotonous... one piece when you look closely at it will look like any other piece. In an industrialized architecture where the desire is replication of shapes to the exclusion of natural nuance it is relevant and I would think appropriate. It works because it can be done, and the approach can be refined. Cast stone can be made to look more like natural stone.
I'm from Missouri. Can anyone point me to some "really good" cast stone, outside of the garden bench? Maybe cast stone only needs weathering?
I was recently sent a photo of 1920's era cast stone, a bench on an estate. What was nice, I felt, about the piece was that the cement matrix had over time eroded such that the marble aggregate showed through. The architect was curious how this effect would have been produced and was not convinced by my sayng that it was likely fabricated without the aggregate showing and that the aesthetic effect was one of weathering.
So maybe the limestone we think is "nice" is on 1920s buildings, old enough so that it has eroded? Can you think of new limestone installations that are/are not equally moving? I cannot. In fact, when I have seen new limestone installations I have generally thought to myself "so what"? I think I am thinking of the big new towhouse/condo on 95th between Fifth and Madison, next to the House of the Redeemer.
C