The Woolworth Building is one of oldest and most famous the Gratte-ciel S of the Borough of Manhattan, with New York. It always forms part of the fifty larger buildings of the country, with a 241 meters height, it comprises 57 stages, and obtained in 1966 the distinction of National Historic Landmark. Its construction was completed in 1913 according to the plans of the architect Cass Gilbert, in a style Néogothique. It then sheltered the premises of the undertaking of Frank Woolworth. It is near the hotel-of-city of New York, in the south of Manhattan. It was the most skyscraper of the world until 1930 and the construction of the 40 Wall Street. It was sold in 1998 with the group Witkoff for 155 million dollars.

Structure

The construction of the building was ordered in 1910 by Frank Woolworth which wished a building built in a style neogothic on Broadway, opposite the New York City Hall . It thus called upon Cass Gilbert whose style was inspired mainly by the Beautiful arts. The building was to shelter the general headquarters of the company directed by Woolworth, Five-and-Ten-Hundred-Blinds , which was composed of a series of cheap stores. It opened doors on April 24th 1913, with a final height of 241 meters, whereas the original plans envisaged a 190,5 meters high building. The total costs of construction were of 13,5 million dollars, regulated in cash. During the inauguration, Woolworth was with Washington, from where it pressed a button which started the 80  000 bulbs which had been placed on the building.

With a splendor and a style specific to the Cathedral S Gothic European, the Gratte-ciel was baptized “cathedral commercial” ( cathedral off trade ) by the reverend S. Parkes Cadman at the time of the opening ceremony. With its 241 meters height, Woolworth Building highest allocated also the title of skyscraper of the world, which until was held there by the high Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower 213 meters. This title was preserved by Woolworth Building of 1913 at 1930, where it was exceeded by the 40 Wall Street which culminated with 282 meters. Until 1945, an observatory accommodated the visitors with the 58ème stage of the building to the manner of the Empire State Building which remains a reference for the tourists, being located in the middle of Manhattan.

Woolworth Building presents a rather atypical form, with a tower which culminates with 241 meters, and with the back of the building, a U-shaped part a height of 28 stages. The tower was supposed to give the illusion which it was a skyscraper which even held of him, which explains why its architecture was very worked, and present of many details. Decoration external of the skyscraper was moulded in terra cotta panels (in the architectural style terra-cotta ) of color Calcaire. In the upper part of the tower, around the pyramidal top, four Pillar S very marked, without cornices, give to the Gratte-ciel the illusion of an ascending push pointed towards the sky. Most of the frontage in Terra cotta was replaced thereafter by artificial stone, and the 27 stages of the tower were converted into residences.

The many details of Gothic inspiration like the Waste-gas main S, them propping up, the Floret S and the Pinacle S are concentrated on the very visible pyramidal top of the building, so that they are visible with the level of the street, however located more than 200 meters downwards. The cruciform corridor, richly decorated, presents a ceiling arched, mosaic S, and representations of Case Gilbert, Louis Horowitz and Woolworth. The office of Woolworth, built in a Style Worsens and decorated with Marbre was preserved.

The framework in Acier of the building, supported by immense boxes penetrating hard stone of the basement is the work of engineer Gunvald Aus. The elevators at high-speed of the Gratte-ciel were moreover innovating, and the high number of accessible offices via these elevators made the structure profitable. The tenants of the building count Irving Trust bank, as Columbia Records which had a studio of recording in the building .

The hall

The hall of Woolworth Building is immense, and a height of three stages. Its ceiling arched is covered with mosaic S Byzantine and the Gothic style of the outside of the building finds its complement in the various balconies decorated with Fresque S, the filigrees in Bronze, the reasons gilded, or the staircases covered with Marbre. The hall moreover is equipped with six caricatural representations of the actors of construction of the building: Frank Woolworth is thus represented counting its benefit, whereas the architect of the building, Cass Gilbert frantically clings to a model Gratte-ciel.

Photographs

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