 His design took several elements from Eliel Saarinen's proposal for Chicago's Tribune Tower, as well as from Walker's own entry in the design competition for the Tribune Tower.Such elements included the Verizon Building's setbacks or architectural recessions; its vertical piers; and its pyramidal roof, which had been a defining feature of Walker's Tribune Tower proposal.The Verizon Building's architecture has been compared to San Antonio's Milam Building, the largest pre-stressed concrete and brick office building and the first to have an integrated designed-in air conditioning system.