Woolworth Building

Woolworth Building
Color photo of the Woolworth Building, a skyscraper, with trees in the foreground and a shorter building to the left
Map
Record height
Tallest in the world from 1913 to 1930[I]
Preceded byMetropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower
Surpassed by40 Wall Street
General information
Architectural styleNeo-Gothic
Location233 Broadway
Manhattan, New York, US
Construction startedNovember 4, 1910 (November 4, 1910)
Topped-outJuly 1, 1912 (July 1, 1912)[1]
Completed1912
OpeningApril 24, 1913 (April 24, 1913)
Renovated1977–1981
CostUS$13.5 million (equivalent to $416,000,000 in 2023)
OwnerWitkoff Group, Cammeby's International (bottom 30 floors)
KC Properties (top 30 floors)
Height
Roof792 ft (241 m)
Technical details
Floor count55
Lifts/elevators34
Design and construction
Architect(s)Cass Gilbert
DeveloperF. W. Woolworth
Structural engineerGunvald Aus and Kort Berle
Main contractorThompson–Starrett Co.
Renovating team
Renovating firmEhrenkrantz Group
Woolworth Building
New York City Landmark No. 1121, 1273
Woolworth Building is located in New York City
Woolworth Building
Location in New York City
Woolworth Building is located in New York
Woolworth Building
Location in New York
Woolworth Building is located in the United States
Woolworth Building
Location in United States
Coordinates40°42′44″N 74°00′29″W / 40.71222°N 74.00806°W / 40.71222; -74.00806
Area0.5 acres (0.2 ha)
NRHP reference No.66000554
NYSRHP No.06101.001790
NYCL No.1121, 1273
Significant dates
Added to NRHPNovember 13, 1966
Designated NHLNovember 13, 1966
Designated NYSRHPJune 23, 1980[2]
Designated NYCLApril 12, 1983
References
[3][4][5][6]

The Woolworth Building is a 792-foot-tall (241 m) residential building and early skyscraper at 233 Broadway in the Tribeca neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. Designed by Cass Gilbert, it was the tallest building in the world from 1913 to 1930, and remains one of the 100 tallest buildings in the United States as of 2024.

The Woolworth Building is bounded by Broadway and City Hall Park to its east, Park Place to its north, and Barclay Street to its south. It consists of a 30-story base topped by a 30-story tower. Its facade is mostly decorated with architectural terracotta, though the lower portions are limestone, and it features thousands of windows. The ornate lobby contains various sculptures, mosaics, and architectural touches. The structure was designed with several amenities and attractions, including a now-closed observatory on the 57th floor and a private swimming pool in the basement.

F. W. Woolworth, the founder of a brand of popular five-and-ten-cent stores, conceived the skyscraper as a headquarters for his company. Woolworth planned the skyscraper jointly with the Irving National Exchange Bank, which also agreed to use the structure as its headquarters. The Woolworth Building had originally been planned as a 12- to 16-story commercial building but underwent several revisions during its planning process. Its final height was not decided upon until January 1911. Construction started in 1910 and was completed two years later. The building officially opened on April 24, 1913.

The Woolworth Building has undergone several changes throughout its history. The facade was cleaned in 1932, and the building received an extensive renovation between 1977 and 1981. The Irving National Exchange Bank moved its headquarters to 1 Wall Street in 1931, but the Woolworth Company (later Venator Group) continued to own the Woolworth Building for most of the 20th century. The structure was sold to the Witkoff Group in 1998. The top 30 floors were sold to a developer in 2012 and converted into residences. Office and commercial tenants use the rest of the building. The Woolworth Building has been a National Historic Landmark since 1966,[7][8][9] and a New York City designated landmark since 1983.[10]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sutton was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. November 7, 2014. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  3. ^ "Woolworth Building". CTBUH Skyscraper Center.
  4. ^ "Emporis building ID 114681". Emporis. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016.
  5. ^ "Woolworth Building". SkyscraperPage.
  6. ^ Woolworth Building at Structurae
  7. ^ "Woolworth Building". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. September 23, 2007. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  8. ^ Patricia Heintzelman and Cecil McKithan (January 6, 1978). "The Woolworth Building" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination. National Park Service. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  9. ^ "The Woolworth Building—Accompanying 3 photos, exterior, from 1975". National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination. National Park Service. January 6, 1978. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  10. ^ New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission; Dolkart, Andrew S.; Postal, Matthew A. (2009). Postal, Matthew A. (ed.). Guide to New York City Landmarks (4th ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-470-28963-1.

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