Woolworth Building, Gothic Revival skyscraper in Tribeca, Manhattan, United States
The Woolworth Building is a 241-meter neo-Gothic skyscraper at 233 Broadway in Tribeca, Manhattan. Its 30-story base is topped by a 30-story tower, and the facade is clad in limestone-colored glazed terracotta above four limestone stories. The tower tapers into a pyramidal roof with dormers and copper-tinted finials.
Frank W. Woolworth hired architect Cass Gilbert in 1910 to design this tower, which held the title of the world's tallest building from 1913 to 1929. The department store tycoon financed the project with his own fortune and made the tower a monument to his retail empire.
The nickname Cathedral of Commerce reflects the church-like arches and ornament that give this commercial tower an almost sacred appearance. Marble columns and golden mosaics in the ground floor lobby express the belief that business buildings deserve the same grandeur as houses of worship.
The tower is located at 233 Broadway and houses offices on the lower floors, while apartments occupy the upper stories. Inside, 34 elevators serve different sections of the building.
The lobby holds sculptures of F. W. Woolworth, architect Cass Gilbert and builder Louis Horowitz. Above the entrance, a tympanum shows a personification of commerce. The tower's upper section is lit green and white at night, and the building has its own ZIP Code, 10279.
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