Cosimo I needed to centralize the administration of his kingdom under one secure roof. His spin doctor, and problem solver, Vasari, designed these buildings along two sides of a narrow street, with a corridor linking the two wings. The buildings became known simply by the Italian word for offices - Uffizi - and were the world's first modern bureaucracy. Cosimo's descendants subsequently opened up the top story to the people of Florence so they might see both the city, and the rich artistic collections of the Medici family. The Uffizi became the world's first public art gallery.