The rapidly enhancing value of real estate in large cities and the tendency to utilize to the fullest extent every foot of available space by erecting sky scraping buildings has led a Boston architect to make a very bold and striking prediction. He has put on paper a design for what he terms “the building of the future” which for originality probably exceeds anything ever conceived in an architect’s mind. The building he has drawn is circular in shape, with breaks in its interior at intervals for light and air shafts. It is a structure fifty stories high, and is designed to accommodate 20,000 people.
    It will not only provide living apartments for that number of persons, but will also contain the necessary stores, theaters, ball-rooms, etc. to supply all their needs for food, clothing and provisions and for their entertainment. In fact, the building will be a complete city in itself. Besides its business features it will contain 2,500 flats for living apartments. Thus a man could live in the building with his family, conduct his business, do all his shopping, enjoy theatrical performances, concerts or balls from year’s end to year’s end without ever once going outside of this structure. It is designed to have this city within a city covered entirely by a huge plate glass roof like the Crystal Palace at Sydenham. The roof is to be so constructed that by the pressure of a finger it can be lifted and laid aside to allow a free and unobstructed entrance of air.

From—The Phillipsburg Herald. (Phillipsburg, Kan.), 21 Feb. 1895. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.