One of the main objectives of this adaptive re-use project was to increase the building’s floor plate to 32,000 sf, which was accomplished by placing an addition on the east side of the long, narrow building. Walsh Bishop designers maintained the image of the historic building’s unique catenary arch by replacing the deteriorating curtainwall with a new, state-of-the-art thermally-broken aluminum/insulated glass system, which protects the structural steel from temperature variations. A lush, one-acre urban park, suggestive of meadow and birch forest and one of the first green roof environments in the region, covers what once was a granite plaza adjacent to Nicollet Mall. Salvaged granite material was used for facing and paving throughout the building and site. Other improvements to the building included asbestos abatement, the development of a two-story public lobby, and a skyway connection.