National Building Museum, Washington DC

This grand hall held presidential inauguration balls prior from the 1880s to 1909, although the rest of the building functioned as government pension offices. It was only saved from the wrecking ball by WWII s demand for immediately available government offices.

Modeled after an Italian palazzo, the building deploys some passive cooling techniques. First, it’s high ceilings (20ft+) allow heat to rise away from its occupants. Also high and low vents could be opened to create a natural cooling draft (each floor had vents under the windows, and the main hall had vents at its top story). Lastly, the massive masonry walls (3ft at the first floor) regulated temperature well.