According to Wikipedia, "In North America, a standpipe is a type of rigid water piping which is built into multi-story buildings in a vertical position, to which fire hoses can be connected, allowing manual application of water to the fire. Within buildings standpipes thus serve the same purpose as fire hydrants."
I snapped this outside the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. I love the care that was taken by the designers to make even the most mundane features of the museum works of art.
