Sustainably Retrofitting a Mid-Century Skyscraper

The original design of the Inland Steel Building included double-paned glass for better insulation.

Alexandra Lange writes, "Other features of the original building sound like they could have been specified yesterday. Graham moved the support piers to the perimeter—where they form striking stainless-steel ribs on the exterior of the building along South Dearborn Street—to create 58-by-178-foot open floors. He integrated electricity and telephone lines into the floor as part of a modular system called 'Inland Cellufloor,' which shares much in common with today’s energy-efficient floor delivery systems."