Inland Steel Building: Model of Final Design
c. 1954/55
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, architects; American, founded 1936 Bruce J. Graham, designer; American, (1925–2010)
Monroe Street, 30 West
As one of the first two high-rise buildings constructed in downtown Chicago after the Great Depression, this model represents part of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill’s push to reimagine the corporate office building, along with the Lever House in New York. The architects separated the functions of the Inland Steel Building into two towers: a 19-story office block and a 25-story service unit. As a result, the floor plans have no interior columns or partitions, allowing maximum flexibility and a bright new image of the modern office, with a green tinted-glass curtain wall and bright stainless-steel mullions.
Mixed media model