About: Slipcover (architecture)

In architecture, a slipcover is a modification of an older building facing by adding a new ornamental layer. The slipcover was a popular treatment in the United States after World War II, as early twentieth-century building styles had fallen out of fashion. Constructing a slipcover with a contemporary design over an existing building was a less expensive alternative to tearing down and building anew. Sometimes attachments of the slipcover caused damage to the original facings. At other times, slipcovers have protected the original facings from deterioration.