Broadway-Chambers Building, Beaux-Arts skyscraper at Broadway and Chambers Street, Manhattan, US
The Broadway-Chambers Building is an 18-story high-rise at the corner of Broadway and Chambers Street with a granite base, red brick shaft, and terra cotta crown. The facade combines these classical materials with innovative construction techniques of that era.
The building was completed in 1900 as Cass Gilbert's first New York project, shaping the early development of American skyscraper architecture. A scaled steel model was displayed at the Paris Exposition to showcase the design.
The building shows how classical column designs were translated into early skyscrapers, shaping the look of Lower Manhattan then and now.
Access to the building is available during business hours since it functions as an active office building. The lobby is worth visiting to see the architectural details from inside.
The facade uses multicolored glazed terra cotta, a novel technique for commercial buildings in New York at that time. This glazing allowed for colors and durability that unglazed brick could not achieve.
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