Most historic photos of skyscrapers show them from a corner angle/ elevated perspective. This portrayal is an inaccurate view, as most individuals interacted with the buildings from street level. In "Chicago 1890: The Skyscraper and the modern city" Joanna Merwood- Salisbury states that it was in fact these people on the streets of Chicago that molded the early skyscraper designs. The Monadnock was designed without surface ornamentation. The Architects Burnham & Root understood that the people moving around on the streets were maintaining a pace that no longer allowed time to enjoy the surface ornament. Instead of surface detail the architects molded and sculpted the brick in way that could be appreciated by the the new urban population.The Reliance building was the first of it's kind. Being that it did not bear the weight of the structure, the curtain frame allowed for large panels of glass. These glass panels combined with the use of a pale terra cotta created a surface that appeared stark and clean. The structure housed Doctor and Dentist offices. The hygienic appearance that resulted created a contrast between the sterile offices and the polluted city down below.
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