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Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest point of the building, irrespective of material or function of the highest element (i.e., including antennae, flagpoles, signage and other functional-technical equipment).
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flag poles or other functional-technical equipment. This measurement is the most widely utilized and is employed to define the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) rankings of the "World's Tallest Buildings."
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest occupied floor within the building.
The number of floors above ground should include the ground floor level and be the number of main floors above ground, including any significant mezzanine floors and major mechanical plant floors. Mechanical mezzanines should not be included if they have a significantly smaller floor area than the major floors below. Similarly, mechanical penthouses or plant rooms protruding above the general roof area should not be counted. Note: CTBUH floor counts may differ from published accounts, as it is common in some regions of the world for certain floor levels not to be included (e.g., the level 4, 14, 24, etc. in Hong Kong).
The number of floors below ground should include all major floors located below the ground floor level.
Woolworth Building
2 Park Place, Cathedral of Commerce
Building
Completed
1913
residential / office
office
steel
241.4 m / 792 ft
58
3
32
150
24
5.08 m/s
120,773 m² / 1,299,990 ft²
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You must be a CTBUH Member to view this resource.
Construction Start
Completed
Recladding
Retrofit Start
Retrofit End
Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).
The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).
You must be a CTBUH Member to view this resource.
Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.
Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).
These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.
Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).
Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).
These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.
Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).
Renovation Award 2021 Award of Excellence
2021 CTBUH Awards
Building Tall Lecture Addresses Skyscraper Renovations
29 November 2018 - Event
Milan Tall Building Conference
19 April 2016 - Event
01 March 2018
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...
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. Beginning in 2014, the upper floors were converted to residential.
Renovation Award 2021 Award of Excellence
2021 CTBUH Awards
Tallest building in the world 1913 - 1930. Preceded by the Metropolitan Life Tower and surpassed by the Bank of Manhattan
01 March 2018
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...
26 October 2015
How New Generations, Industries and Workplace Paradigms Are Redefining the Commercial High-Rise
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 illustrate...
22 October 2015
Reinventing Woolworth: Adaptive Reuse of a Historic Skyscraper
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...
12 June 2008
The Tallest Buildings in the World: Past, Present & Future
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...
29 November 2018
The latest event in the Building Tall Lecture Series, hosted by the Chicago Architecture Center and CTBUH, featured a panel on revitalizing iconic skyscrapers.
19 April 2016
The Tall Buildings Iuav International Conference held its sixth annual seminar at the CityLife Conference Hall in Milan.
28 October 2015
CTBUH 2015 delegates toured Woolworth Building which was the tallest building in the world at its completion in 1913.
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