Modern Monadnock

The architects who designed the Monadnock Building would be pleased to see how well their building is holding up.

The Monadnock was one of the first skyscrapers to be built on the planet.  Over 120 years later, it is still fulfilling its intended purpose: to provide an agreeable and functional setting for office work.

This is the slightly younger southern end of the building, which was built in 1893.  The northern end, built in 1891, relied on a thick base of solid masonry on an iron frame to support its height.  Two years later, the southern end used steel beams in a facade whose lower floors also incorporated big plate-glass windows to let in more light.

The 17-story building block originally had four separate entrances, corresponding to four separate vertical segments which, together, made up the building.  Each one had its own name and its own bank of elevators.  The entrances for two of the buildings are visible here.

Inside, the building provides large and small suites for some 300 tenants.  It’s full of lawyers, architects, and a smattering of non-profits.  It’s cool when a place on the National Register of Historic Places is as well-cared for and as vibrant as the old Monadnock Building.