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Southwestern Bell Building facts for kids

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Southwestern Bell Building
Southwestern Bell Building, top, StL.jpg
General information
Status Complete
Type Commercial offices
Architectural style Neo-Gothic
Location 1010 Pine Street
St. Louis, Missouri
Coordinates 38°37′41″N 90°11′44″W / 38.6281°N 90.1955°W / 38.6281; -90.1955
Completed 1926; 99 years ago (1926)
Height
Roof 121.0 m (397.0 ft)
Technical details
Floor count 28
Design and construction
Architect Mauran, Russell, & Crowell

The Southwestern Bell Building is a very tall building, also known as a skyscraper, located in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. It has 28 stories and stands about 121 meters (397 feet) tall. This impressive building was built to be the main office, or headquarters, for the Southwestern Bell Telephone company.

When it was finished in 1926, the Southwestern Bell Building was the tallest building in all of Missouri. It was a really big deal for the city of St. Louis!

Building Design and Style

The Southwestern Bell Building has a special design that makes it stand out. It was one of the first buildings in St. Louis to use something called "setbacks."

What are Setbacks?

Setbacks are parts of a building that are built further back from the street as the building gets taller. Imagine a giant wedding cake, where each layer is a bit smaller than the one below it. That's kind of how setbacks work! They make the building look like it's stepping back as it rises. This design was often used to let more sunlight reach the streets below and to make buildings look more grand.

Because of these setbacks, the Southwestern Bell Building actually has 17 different roof sections!

Who Designed It?

The architects who designed this amazing building were a company called Mauran, Russell & Crowell. They were very famous architects in St. Louis. They also designed other important buildings in the city, like the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis and the Railway Exchange Building (St. Louis).

An architect from Southwestern Bell, named I.R. Timlin, also helped with the design. He was known as the associate architect for the project.

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