DescriptionColor photograph of Hoboken southern piers and the "Big John", Hoboken, May 1984. 3-1/2" x 5" wide print, processor's date: May 84. Photographer: Mel Kiernan, Hoboken. View is south from an elevated position (Castle Point?) approximately from Seventh Street. The old Port Authority piers A, B, C and D are in view with Hoboken (Lackawanna) Terminal and its radio tower in the distance. Several old piers and pilings are being removed near Pier 5. Big John (Building Technology Research Center, Stevens Institute of Technology)" The "Big John," or "The Royal Flush," as it is commonly called, is an 11-story green building on the Hoboken waterfront. It was built in 1972 with an important duty: To measure the amount of atmospheric pressure required to flush a toilet in a high-rise apartment building. See search term for more information.