The centrifugal chiller not only could improve production, but also the working conditions for laborers. Willis Carrier proved this in 1923 when he was hired to cool a Brazil gold mine, where workers 7,000 feet down dug through rocks heated by the Earth to more than 130 degrees F. His machine made the work tolerable and allowed the miners to go even deeper in search of gold.

Business people also began to find gold in cooling their customers. Air conditioning in department stores attracted more shoppers and put an end to bargain hunters fainting during mid-summer sales. Theater owners soon realized that a sign reading "Cooled by Refrigeration" could draw more patrons in summer heat than the names of movie stars up in lights. Office workers moved at a brisker pace when sweat didn't trickle down their brows. One Macy's ad warned its summer-time customers that they had to leave the air conditioned store at closing time. "We just have to remember that, in a few hours, morning will come and bring with it another cool Macy's day."

The centrifugal chiller also freed architects to explore new frontiers, from skyscrapers to submarines. Carrier's invention has spurred the growth of three icons of modern life: the domed sports arena, bustling international airport terminals and sprawling shopping malls.

Large buildings no longer required center court-yards and open windows for cross ventilation during heat waves. While Otis elevator technology made skyscrapers practical by lifting people to top floors safely, Carrier-designed equipment and compact air distribution made cooling skyscrapers economically feasible. Suddenly, large, permanently enclosed work spaces could be kept comfortable year 'round — even high-rise glass structures in direct sunlight became possible. Urban skylines were changed forever.

Shoppers can seek out the perfect bouquet (below) as they stroll through spacious Carrier-cooled suburban shopping centers, including multi-level malls to the east and west of downtown Johannesburg. Large-capacity centrifugal chillers prevent wilting.


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