Woolworth Building

Abstract

SKYSCRAPERS ARE not only objects of their own time, but have an uncanny knack for pointing the way to the future. Cass Gilbert’s Woolworth Building is the most successfully realized skyscraper of the eclectic era, but also seems to anticipate the setback designs of the Art Deco skyscrapers. At 55 stories, the Woolworth was the tallest and most recognizable skyscraper in the world for 16 years until it was topped by the Chrysler Building. Many heights are given for the building, but its highest point is 793.5 feet on the Barclay Street side. The owner had the building measured himself to make sure it was the tallest in the world. The stories that vary from 11 to 20 feet high are the equivalent of about 80 modern-day stories.