The Woolworth Building opened to much fanfare on April 24, 1913, when President Woodrow Wilson famously pressed a button to illuminate the tower for thousands of onlookers. Hailed as New York’s "Cathedral of Commerce," at a 792-foot height, Cass Gilbert’s Gothic-style tower held the title of tallest building in the world until the Bank of Manhattan Trust, designed by H. Craig Severance, and the Chrysler Building, by William Van Alen, were completed in 1930. For the Woolworth’s 100th birthday, Architectural Record is republishing a gem from its archives: a 1913 article by legendary architecture critic Montgomery Schuyler.
Schuyler, who wrote for Record frequently after its launch in 1891, continually addressed structural and design questions of New York City skyscrapers. When he decided to write about the Woolworth Building, he included skyscrapers that were noticeably tall enough to be seen in the round from different vantage points—far away, mid-distance, and close up.
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