Woolworth Building


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Height: Occupied
221.7 m / 727 ft   Height: To Tip
241.4 m / 792 ft
Height: Architectural
241.4 m / 792 ft  
Woolworth Building Outline
Height: Observatory
221.7 m / 727 ft
Floors Above Ground
58
# of Elevators
34
Top Elevator Speed
3.55 m/s
Tower GFA
120,773 m² / 1,299,990 ft²
# of Apartments
33
# of Parking Spaces
150

Facts

Official Name Woolworth Building
Other Names Cathedral of Commerce
Structure Type Building
Status Completed
Country United States
City New York City
Street Address & Map 233 Broadway
Postal Code 10007
Original Function office
Current Function residential / office
Structural Material steel
Landmark Status local
Construction Start 1910
Completion 1913
Recladding 1977
Retrofit Start 2014
Retrofit End 2017
Rankings Click arrows to view the next taller/shorter buildings
Regional Ranking #89 Tallest in North America
National Ranking #78 Tallest in United States
City Ranking #34 Tallest in New York City

Original Companies Involved

Owner
• Current Alchemy Properties; Cammeby's International; Witkoff
• Past F.W. Woolworth Company
Developer F.W. Woolworth Company; Irving National Exchange Bank
Architect
• Design Cass Gilbert
Structural Engineer
• Design Gunvald Aus Company
Main Contractor Thompson-Starrett & Co.
Other Consultant
• Façade Vidaris, Inc.
• Interiors The Office of Thierry W Despont Ltd.
Material Supplier
• Elevator Otis Elevator Company

Retrofit Companies Involved

Developer Alchemy Properties; Witkoff
Architect
• Design SLCE Architects
Structural Engineer
• Design Gilsanz Murray Steficek
Other Consultant
• Façade Vidaris, Inc.
• Interiors The Office of Thierry W Despont Ltd.
• Sustainability Vidaris, Inc.

About Woolworth Building

The Woolworth Building was designed in the Neo-Gothic style by architect Cass Gilbert. Upon opening in 1913 the Woolworth Building was the tallest building in the world until the construction of 40 Wall Street in 1930. Its Gothic detailing at its crown is over-sized to be able to read from street level. The lobby is covered in marble with a vaulted ceiling, mosaics, stained-glass ceiling light and bronze fitting. In 2015, the upper floors were converted to residential.

CTBUH Initiatives

Building Tall Lecture Addresses Skyscraper Renovations
29 Nov 2018 – Event Report

Milan Tall Building Conference
19 Apr 2016 – Event Report

Woolworth Building Renovation Tour
28 Oct 2015 – Tour Report

More Initiatives

CTBUH Initiatives Related to Woolworth Building

Building Tall Lecture Addresses Skyscraper Renovations
29 Nov 2018, Chicago – Event Report
The latest event in the Building Tall Lecture Series, hosted by the Chicago Architecture Center and CTBUH, featured a panel on revitalizing iconic skyscrapers.
Milan Tall Building Conference
19 Apr 2016, Milan – Event Report
The Tall Buildings Iuav International Conference held its sixth annual seminar at the CityLife Conference Hall in Milan.
Woolworth Building Renovation Tour
28 Oct 2015, New York City – Tour Report
CTBUH 2015 delegates toured Woolworth Building which was the tallest building in the world at its completion in 1913.
Height: The History of Measuring Tall Buildings
Dec 2009, Chicago – CTBUH News
This article describes some of the events which took place in the Council's long, and sometimes complex, history of measuring tall buildings.

Research Papers

Dynamic Interrelationship between the Evolution of the Structural Systems and Façade Design in Tall Buildings
Mar 2018 – International Journal of High-Rise Buildings Volume 7 Number 1

How New Generations, Industries and Workplace Paradigms Are Redefining the Commercial High-Rise
26 Oct 2015 – Global Interchanges: Resurgence of the Skyscraper City

Reinventing Woolworth: Adaptive Reuse of a Historic Skyscraper
Oct 2015 – CTBUH Journal, 2015 Issue IV

More Papers

Papers Related to Woolworth Building

Papers Related to Woolworth Building

Dynamic Interrelationship between the Evolution of the Structural Systems and Façade Design in Tall Buildings
Mar 2018 – International Journal of High-Rise Buildings Volume 7 Number 1; Kyoung Sun Moon, Yale University School of Architecture
The emergence of tall buildings in the late 19th century was possible by using new materials and separating the role of structures and that of non-structural walls from…
How New Generations, Industries and Workplace Paradigms Are Redefining the Commercial High-Rise
26 Oct 2015 – Global Interchanges: Resurgence of the Skyscraper City; Timothy Johnson, NBBJ
This paper will provide a data-driven analysis of building performance from three eras: the early 1900s, mid-twentieth century, and today. This longitudinal analysis will…
Reinventing Woolworth: Adaptive Reuse of a Historic Skyscraper
Oct 2015 – CTBUH Journal, 2015 Issue IV; Gary Steficek & Petr Vancura, Gilsanz Murray Steficek
This article presents a case study of structural and logistical issues involved in the adaptive reuse of an early 20th-century skyscraper, and outlines the case for…
The Tallest Buildings in the World: Past, Present & Future
Jun 2008 – CTBUH Journal, 2008 Issue II; CTBUH Research
Over time, the average height of the 100 tallest buildings in the world has been steadily increasing. However, by 2010, this average height will have jumped to 349 meters…

Browse hundreds of other papers published by CTBUH members on a range of multi-disciplinary subjects in the Research Papers Library

Other Building Facts

Tallest building in the world 1913 - 1930. Preceded by the Metropolitan Life Tower and surpassed by the Bank of Manhattan


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