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It closes early at 3pm on Thanksgiving Eve, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.","Center and Holiday Hours",{"bottomLink":294,"cta":307,"iconLinks":317},{"left":295,"right":304},[296,298,300,301],{"label":297,"link":177},"FAQs",{"label":173,"link":299},"/about/contact-us",{"label":43,"link":44},{"label":302,"link":303},"Newsletter Sign-up","/subscribe",[305],{"label":306,"link":36},"Docent & Volunteer Portal",{"button":308,"description":312,"image":313,"title":316},{"label":309,"link":310,"title":311},"Get on board!","https://www.architecture.org/city-tours/river-cruise","Go to river cruise landing page","Be ready for the first departure of the season on March 15!",{"alt":314,"src":315},"Grand tour boat with tourists seated and graphic of skyscrapers in background.","https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2Fe61abde79d954ddab2b6092044c4b5a1%2F21a8b82c6c5d40ea9e0bd61e8f800948","Tickets on sale now!",[318,322,324],{"icon":319,"label":320,"link":321},"https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/file/assets%2Fe61abde79d954ddab2b6092044c4b5a1%2F53693c97fea141e5a6708ff86ff306bf","Calendar","/calendar",{"icon":323,"label":25,"link":26},"https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/file/assets%2Fe61abde79d954ddab2b6092044c4b5a1%2F090fb84be62342a69184791ea102a702",{"icon":325,"label":326,"link":86},"https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/file/assets%2Fe61abde79d954ddab2b6092044c4b5a1%2F6460da61a1db460588bd3549fdea03b8","Shop",{"commonResults":328,"defaultSearchLabel":344,"resultsLabel":345},[329,333,336,340],{"description":330,"model":331,"title":332,"url":177},"Find answers to your questions related to the CAC","webpage","Frequently Asked Questions",{"description":334,"model":331,"title":335,"url":73},"View center hours, location and other helpful info","Plan Your Visit",{"description":337,"model":338,"title":339,"url":55},"View boat departure times, location and more helpful details","tour","Book a River Cruise",{"description":341,"model":342,"title":343,"url":321},"From tours to educational programs, exhibitions and more, find something fun to do based on your available dates","calendar","CAC Calendar of Events","Common Search Results","Your Search Results",{"facebook":347,"instagram":348,"linkedin":349,"pinterest":350,"tiktok":351,"x":352,"youtube":353},"https://www.facebook.com/chiarchitecture","https://www.instagram.com/chiarchitecture","https://www.linkedin.com/company/chicago-architecture-center/","https://www.pinterest.com/chiarchitecture/","https://www.tiktok.com/@chiarchitecture","https://twitter.com/chiarchitecture","https://www.youtube.com/@ChicagoArchitecture","Due to weather, all tours are cancelled and the Center will be closed January 16, 2024",{"accessibilityMessage":356,"buttonLabel":357,"selectTicketType":358},"\u003Cp>\n  To request accessibility accommodations, please\n  \u003Ca href=\"/about/contact-us\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">contact us\u003C/a>.\n\u003C/p>\n","Buy Tickets",{"label":359,"message":360},"Select ticket type","\u003Cp>\n  CAC members must login to access special ticket pricing. 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Owings & Merrill",[564],{"@type":565,"property":566,"value":567,"operator":568},"@builder.io/core:Query","urlPath","/online-resources/buildings-of-chicago/inland-steel","is","\u003Cp>Don’t let the Inland Steel Building fool you. It’s an architectural giant disguised as a modest office building. \u003C/p>","Inland Steel Building","Inland Steel",[573],"Commercial Office","1958","30 W. Monroe St.",[577],"Modernism",{"deviceSize":579,"location":580},"large",{"pathname":567,"path":581,"query":585},[582,583,584],"online-resources","buildings-of-chicago","inland-steel",{},"Loop",[588,591,593,596],{"src":589,"alt":570,"source":590},"https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2Fe61abde79d954ddab2b6092044c4b5a1%2F38b83da8bed8450cafeb4a7f9c4a7a3b","",{"src":592,"alt":570},"https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2Fe61abde79d954ddab2b6092044c4b5a1%2F6ba0ff5beb704a929d08f1848b6285be",{"src":594,"alt":570,"caption":595},"https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2Fe61abde79d954ddab2b6092044c4b5a1%2F6e2cd03db46b41988b5b88e5c6604d65","Courtesy Eric Allix Rogers",{"src":597,"alt":570,"caption":595},"https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2Fe61abde79d954ddab2b6092044c4b5a1%2F6239eb36503d42939c35f3086e489479",[599,748],{"@type":600,"@version":457,"layerName":601,"id":602,"meta":603,"children":605,"responsiveStyles":746},"@builder.io/sdk:Element","building detail - main template","builder-bc82d259acff4618afb7d0374b78064d",{"previousId":604},"builder-36c69300c76b41d0890a4c9b1dd9b357",[606,623,648,679,707,719,728,737],{"@type":600,"@version":457,"id":607,"meta":608,"component":610,"responsiveStyles":616},"builder-d9a8f37e9d41482382d9646752ba76f9",{"previousId":609},"builder-a3a7dfdf068c4f5e9485fc21d47f0254",{"name":611,"options":612},"Text",{"text":613,"padding":614,"backgroundColor":615},"\u003Cp>Architects and architecture buffs have admired the sophisticated,&nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/architecture-dictionary/entry/mid-century-modernism/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Mid-Century Modern\u003C/a>&nbsp;design of this Chicago classic for generations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The 19-story office tower’s sleek&nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/architecture-dictionary/entry/facade/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">facade\u003C/a>&nbsp;combines shimmering aquamarine glass and&nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/architecture-dictionary/entry/stainless-steel/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">stainless steel\u003C/a>. Its innovative use of the metal pays homage to the building's namesake, the Inland Steel Company. Founded in Chicago in 1893, the company grew to become the eighth-largest steel producer in the United States by the 1950s.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To celebrate this success, Inland Steel commissioned a new corporate headquarters in Chicago's Loop in 1954. They wanted a building with a modern design to highlight the enduring power of the steel industry and showcase their product as well as other postwar technologies. Architects Walter Netsch and Bruce Graham of&nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/architecture-dictionary/entry/skidmore-owings-merrill/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Skidmore, Owings &amp; Merrill\u003C/a>&nbsp;obliged.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4>THE INLAND STEEL BUILDING: A COLLECTION OF CHICAGO FIRSTS\u003C/h4>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>First fully air-conditioned building\u003C/li>\u003Cli>First indoor, underground parking facility\u003C/li>\u003Cli>First to use two-inch thick, dual-glazed glass to help with climate control\u003C/li>\u003Cli>First building constructed on steel pilings\u003C/li>\u003Cli>First building with automated window washing and mail distribution systems\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch4>AN OPEN PLAN AESTHETIC\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Inland Steel’s column-free interior demonstrates the&nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/architecture-dictionary/entry/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Miesian\u003C/a>&nbsp;design concept of&nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/architecture-dictionary/entry/universal-space/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">universal space\u003C/a>. Each level boasts 177 feet by 58 feet of unobstructed, usable space. This open plan aesthetic was truly innovative at the time of the building’s completion. It provided unmatched, flexible square footage to tenants.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The&nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/architecture-dictionary/entry/clear-span-construction/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">clear-span construction\u003C/a>&nbsp;is made possible by 14 exterior supporting&nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/architecture-dictionary/entry/column/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">columns\u003C/a>, 60-foot&nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/architecture-dictionary/entry/girder/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">girders\u003C/a>&nbsp;and an adjacent 25-story service tower. The windowless tower, also clad in stainless steel, separates operational support from the professional offices. It is home to the building's essential systems including its lavatories, seven elevators, staircases and vertical circulation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The wide-open floor plan of the Inland Steel office tower is partly responsible for the building’s enduring popularity. Today, inhabitants are still able to adapt the space to accommodate their specific needs.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4>USHERING IN AN ERA OF MODERN DESIGN IN CHICAGO\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>When completed in 1958, Inland Steel was the first building constructed in Chicago's Loop in more than 20 years. Its sleek sophisticated design ushered in a new era of modernity in the city. The primarily glass&nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/architecture-dictionary/entry/facade/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">facade\u003C/a>&nbsp;is completely devoid of ornamentation. This must have been a surprising change for Chicagoans accustomed to the richly ornamented&nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/architecture-dictionary/entry/terra-cotta/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">terra cotta\u003C/a>, brick and stone facades of the past.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The office tower seemingly floats above its glass-enclosed, transparent lobby—staying true to a Mid-Century Modern aesthetic. Housed inside the lobby is Radiant I,&nbsp;an&nbsp;abstract, contemporary sculpture. Artist Richard Lippold was commissioned by the Inland Steel Company to create a work specifically for the space. Composed of metal rods and wires, it spans a shallow reflecting pool. The lobby’s open aesthetic allows a privately-owned work of art to be experienced and appreciated by the public.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The Inland Steel building’s elegant design has aged well. Many of our tour guests are surprised to discover that it's much older than it appears. It was a pioneer in the mid-20th century, and its design remains fresh and current today.\u003C/p>","no-bottom","bg-gray-100",{"large":617},{"display":618,"flexDirection":619,"position":620,"flexShrink":621,"boxSizing":622},"flex","column","relative","0","border-box",{"@type":600,"@version":457,"id":624,"meta":625,"component":627,"responsiveStyles":646},"builder-7bf31b9eea5643b19aec1bb51a166846",{"previousId":626},"builder-c1d4a1ea2f2b4758a0f2aa70903f179f",{"name":628,"options":629},"Fact Carousel",{"factList":630},[631,637,640,643],{"body":632,"title":633,"icon":634},"\u003Cp>The security desk inside the building’s lobby was designed by Frank Gehry. It weighs 14,000 pounds and is made of emerald-colored glass that references the building’s tinted exterior windows.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C/p>","Did you know?",{"src":635,"alt":636},"https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2F49af4dfb0fbc43d58bf8ce407e839d74%2F6eb8f64ac9e149c9869e201bde237839","Icon of two buildings. One in red and one is taller.",{"body":638,"title":633,"icon":639},"\u003Cp>Inland Steel’s office and service towers are visually linked by the same pattern of vertical and horizontal lines.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C/p>",{"src":635,"alt":636},{"body":641,"title":633,"icon":642},"\u003Cp>DeStefano Keating + Partners, the architects of neighboring building One South Dearborn, had such reverence for the Inland Steel building that they set their building back on its site to provide a glimpse at Inland Steel’s northern facade.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C/p>",{"src":635,"alt":636},{"body":644,"title":633,"icon":645},"\u003Cp>Because Inland Steel was producing carbon steel almost exclusively at the time of the construction, the stainless steel for the building had to be purchased from another steel company.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C/p>",{"src":635,"alt":636},{"large":647},{"display":618,"flexDirection":619,"position":620,"flexShrink":621,"boxSizing":622},{"@type":600,"@version":457,"layerName":649,"id":650,"meta":651,"children":653,"responsiveStyles":677},"related videos","builder-54e42c72e62944ec9fcecc996c7b0856",{"previousId":652},"builder-56118d92ce914601a2f1675037061c8d",[654,667],{"@type":600,"@version":457,"id":655,"meta":656,"component":658,"responsiveStyles":664},"builder-25020376f33345348a9edab88b8abfef",{"previousId":657},"builder-ef1cc597844941c68797b51ed941c786",{"name":659,"options":660},"Video",{"headline":661,"videoEmbed":662,"videoCaption":663},"Inland Steel Building: Open and Flexible","\u003Ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/cl6fL_wtCrM?si=SlI4KS6KwWKcM1FT\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C/iframe>","Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is an architecture, urban planning and interior design firm founded in Chicago in 1936. In 1958, SOM moved its offices into the Inland Steel Building after designing the corporate headquarters for the Inland Steel Company. SOM Managing Partner Richard F. Tomlinson II talks about how office culture changed with the introduction of open floor plans. ",{"large":665},{"display":618,"flexDirection":619,"position":620,"flexShrink":621,"boxSizing":622,"width":666},"100%",{"@type":600,"@version":457,"id":668,"meta":669,"component":671,"responsiveStyles":675},"builder-871d41054ce24eeca1aa10e22c8f8915",{"previousId":670},"builder-721e52857c1b466d88c800149cde6c18",{"name":611,"options":672},{"padding":673,"text":674},"no-top","\u003Ch4>related videos:\u003C/h4>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4WdNKI2f2Y\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Inland Steel Building: Design of the Corporate Headquarters\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS8dQ01Nnf4\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Inland Steel Building: Modernist Concepts\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0Vlw5bAczI\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Inland Steel Building: Steel Tower 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