Although a prewar building, the House of Steel it is a prototypically "modern" structure. Unfortunately, that’s not necessarily a compliment these days. As architectural historian Jeanne Lambin recently wrote, "Every generation has a style of architecture that it considers expendable, unattractive, or associated with an unpleasant or challenging period of history. Today, many consider the architecture of the recent past to be as expendable as the architecture of the Victorian era once was."

The challenges facing those trying to preserve modern structures may be particularly great in New England, where the focus is often on older resources. Indeed, a number of important buildings in the region have been lost in recent months. Yet there are preservation successes here, too, such as Philip Johnson’s iconic Glass House in New Canaan. The House of Steel presents another opportunity for Connecticut to lead the way.