Structural Integrity

The columns of the Citicorp center could not be built on the buildings corners because St. Peter's Lutheran Church occupied one of the corners. When the church sold their land to Citicorp there was a condition that a new church would have to be built in the same place. Citicorp could build "in the area around the church and in the space above it", so the stilts were placed in the middle of each side of the base, instead of on each corner.

The Citicorp building's major flaw is that it could potentially blow over in the wind. A student discovered this flaw and tried to make it public. The college senior was given this building to study by his teacher and discovered that the building was "vulnerable at its corners" and strong quartering winds could blow the building down. When LeMessurier, the architect of the building, checked the student's math and found out he was right. They worked to renovate the building, all while keeping the possible danger a secret from the public and the building's tenants. Diane Hartley was revealed to be the student when she was listening to BBC special on the building and the incident was talked about.