Because I get to go to all sorts of offices, sometimes I discover some amazing things. Today I was in the US Steel offices in Pittsburgh. You have to understand something about Pittsburgh and US Steel. I think Pittsburgh as a city is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever lived in. When you come through the tunnel and you are dropped downtown, it is inspiring. Pittsburgh is in the midst of change. For many many years it was the steel capitol of the country, if not the world. Now there are huge empty buildings that once housed an old school industry now sit alone, falling apart, a dying part of what built America.
US Steel still exists, but it hard for me to understand exactly how. I am often in some of the largest law firms in the country and these offices are always modern, sleek and high tech. You need wireless, it's always there. You need great coffee, done. Whatever you need in these offices, it can be had. US Steel has offices in Pittsburgh that were apparently built in the late 60's and have not been updated at all. It is like walking onto the set of Mad Men. I joked with a friend that I wanted a cigarette and scotch and I may even have sex with my (non-existant) secretary.
It is the little things that set designers do that make sets kind of amazing. The same is true for the US Steel offices, the carpeting, the beige walls and the cheap/bad artwork that was both kind of sweet and kind of scary. The office chairs are bulky and do not have rollers, so to move them, you have to stand and push back and because these are 40 year old chairs, they weigh close to a hundred million pounds.
What kind of blew my mind was the attire of the people working in the offices. I swear the men, it's winter here, were wearing short sleeved dress shirts. First, I can not remember ever seeing men wearing short sleeved dress shirts, except ironically. The women all looked like they could use a lot of sleep and maybe a few makeovers. Of course, the men were no healthier, I just did not get past their shirts.
My favorite part? Well, favorite and saddest. The mens room. Old time, 60's style mens room. In fact, the sinks had these old fashioned faucets that did not allow you to regulate hot or cold water, but you just pulled on a switch and out came luke warm water. Fantastic I thought. Then the saddest thing, because in these retro bathrooms, the only modern thing was the towel dispensers, which were not blowing hot air, but dispensing paper towels. That is fine, towels are OK, but here I was in the US Steel offices, pulling paper towels from a gleaming new steel dispenser and because I found that kind of cool, I checked it out and found the ironic aspect of the entire visit, gleaming new steel towel dispensers at US Steel are made in China. Of course.
I think I will have that scotch now.
Has anyone seen my secretary?
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