Re: 45 Province St
This building isn't clad in precast concrete, it's terracotta -- and, IMO, in terms of quality and aesthetics, it's light years ahead of the typical precast that's been so prevalent in this city lately. Terracotta is essentially baked clay, very similar to brick. It's a material that has been used for centuries and if you walk around downtown you'll see many older buildings from 19th and early 20th century that utilize terracotta cladding and decoration.
I think the reason so many people confuse this type of terracotta cladding with precast is because it uses a system of prefabricated panels (this was discussed a few pages back in this thread). This is meant to cut down on installation/labor costs. The downside is that it appears to leave a visible seam between panels. If the tiles were installed a more tradition way, in place and by hand, I don't think you'd see those gaps. It would undoubtedly be more expensive, though.