Woolworth Building

울워스 빌딩

Cass Gilbert's neo-Gothic "Cathedral of Commerce" on Broadway, the world's tallest building from 1913 to 1930. A 30-storey base carries a cream terracotta tower that ends in a green copper pyramid.

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At a glance

Country: United States
Location: New York, USA
Built: 1913
Height: 241 m
Type: Skyscraper

Quick answers

Where is Woolworth Building?

Woolworth Building is in New York, USA, United States.

When was Woolworth Building built?

Woolworth Building was built in 1913.

How tall is Woolworth Building?

Woolworth Building is about 241 m tall.

The Woolworth Building is a neo-Gothic skyscraper at 233 Broadway in Lower Manhattan, New York City. The architect Cass Gilbert designed it for Frank W. Woolworth, who founded the five-and-ten-cent store chain F. W. Woolworth Company and wanted a headquarters for it. The building opened on April 24, 1913, and rises 241 metres (792 feet).

From 1913 until 1929 it was the tallest building in the world, until 40 Wall Street and the Chrysler Building passed it. With its pointed windows and ornaments, it looks like a European Gothic cathedral, and in a booklet from 1916 a minister called it the Cathedral of Commerce. Today the top 30 floors are homes, and offices and shops use the rest.

Design and cost

The building is a 30-storey base with a 30-storey tower rising on the Broadway side. The base is U-shaped so that every office has windows to the outside. The outside is mostly glazed terracotta panels in a limestone colour, over a limestone lower part, with a green copper roof. Terracotta was chosen partly because it does not burn.

Construction began in 1910, the top was reached in 1912, and the building cost about 13.5 million dollars.

From small plan to tall tower

The first plan was only a 12- to 16-storey office building. It was redesigned several times and the final height was not decided until January 1911. It was first meant to be 420 feet tall, and ended up at 792 feet.

The building has 60 floors, of which 53 can be used, but its tall ceilings, from 3.4 to 6.1 metres, make it feel like an 80-storey building. Woolworth admired the Victoria Tower in London, while Gilbert did not like the comparison to churches.

Famous firsts and extras

At the opening, President Woodrow Wilson pressed a button in Washington, D.C., to switch on the lights in New York. Inside are an ornate lobby with mosaics and sculptures, and a private swimming pool in the basement.

The building was made a National Historic Landmark in 1966 and a New York City landmark in 1983. It even has its own ZIP code, 10279.