This is a bonus stop for architecture nerds, and if you've made it this far, you probably qualify.
The Monadnock Building is one of the most important buildings in architectural history, and it looks like a very large, very serious brick. That's not an insult. It's THE brick. THE serious brick.
Here's why this matters — the Monadnock was built in two halves. The north half, completed in 1891, is the tallest load-bearing wall building EVER CONSTRUCTED. 17 stories of solid masonry. No steel frame. Just brick stacked on brick. The walls at the base are SIX FEET THICK. That's not a building technique — that's a defensive fortification.
Two years later, they built the south half using a steel frame. The walls are only 18 inches thick. Same height. Same look. Completely different engineering.
You're looking at the before and after of the skyscraper, side by side. One half represents the absolute limit of traditional construction — you literally cannot build higher with just bricks, the w
alls would need to be too thick to be usable on the ground floors. The other half represents the future — steel skeletons that let buildings go as high as engineering and ego allow.
The north half was designed by Burnham and Root — yes, the same John Root who died before the World's Fair. The south half was finished after his death. Some people say you can feel the difference. The north half has
