Carbide and Carbon Building Secret: It may be a reaction to Prohibition
The Carbide and Carbon Headquarters was designed and built during the 1920s, when Prohibition laws in the United States were in full swing. There is a persistent rumor that the Burnham brothers designed their masterpiece to tell the world exactly what they thought of the Prohibitions laws in the United States during the 1920s. The base of the building is a bright green, like a champagne bottle, a strange color scheme for a skyscraper at the time.
Bright, shining gold coats the upper stories. The building tapers quite a bit toward the top. These elements look like the neck and foil wrapping of a champagne bottle. The Burnham brothers never confirmed or denied that they designed the rumor that they designed their building like a champagne bottle as an architectural middle finger to Prohibition. But the building’s looks and the timing are just a bit coincidental.
