In the 1930s, a skyscraper was rotated 90 degrees while everyone kept working inside.

In 1929, the Indiana Bell Telephone Company purchased the Central Union Telephone Company, along with its eight-story headquarters in downtown Evansville, Indiana, as part of a plan to majorly expand its footprint in the area. First, it considered demolishing the Central Union Telephone building, which housed its administrative offices and telephone switchboards. But architect Kurt Vonnegut Sr. (yup, the father of author Kurt Vonnegut Jr.) had a different idea. Rather than raze the building and start from scratch, they could move it across the lot — 52 feet sideways, followed by a 90-degree turn — and expand from there. The plan didn’t just work; it was a resounding success. Not only did the eight-story, 11,000-ton building end up safely in its new location, but the offices remained fully operational during the monthlong moving process, with no disruptions to telephone service.