Koppers Building

The Koppers Building rises in a series of dramatic, receding limestone setbacks that make it look like a tiered wedding cake cast in stone. Andrew Mellon commissioned this skyscraper in nineteen twenty-nine to house his chemical and engineering empire. He demanded a design that evoked the classical grandeur of Europe while embracing the efficiency of American industry. Deep inside the lobby, workers once polished bronze surfaces so bright that staff kept gloves on hand to prevent leaving fingerprints on the gleaming metal.