One of the most infamous remnants of New Haven’s urban renewal period looms over an IKEA parking lot. The Pirelli Tire Building, designed by Marcel Breuer, has been a striking feature of the city’s harbor for decades. In 1966, when the Armstrong Rubber Company was looking to build a new headquarters near the intersection of Interstates 91 and 95, Mayor Richard C. Lee saw a unique opportunity. Rather than move forward with a low-rise structure, as Armstrong Rubber had planned, Lee proposed a taller building, one that would draw the attention…
