Broadway Tower, Pioneer skyscraper in Financial District, Manhattan
Broadway Tower is an early skyscraper in Manhattan's Financial District, rising 11 stories to about 128 feet tall. The narrow building lot of about 21 feet wide required cast iron columns spaced to support the hanging exterior walls.
Bradford Gilbert designed this structure in 1888 using a revolutionary steel frame construction method. The building was among the first of its kind and demonstrated how modern engineering could make tight building sites usable.
The structure represented the start of vertical building in Manhattan and inspired many buildings that followed across the city. Its innovative construction method became a model for architects working on later skyscrapers.
The site is located in the Financial District and is easy to reach on foot, though it sits where dense street traffic flows. Visiting requires planning ahead since the exact location between Broadway and New Street in this older part of the city can be hard to pinpoint.
The building was demolished in 1914 after standing for only about 26 years of office use. The space it once occupied made way for newer structures that would shape the city's future look.
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